( 256 ) 

 SOME BREEDING-HABITS OF THE SPARROW- 

 HAWK. 



(9) Chiefly Further Notes on the Effects of Sun. — 



Part IV. 



BY 



J. H. OWEN. 



In British Birds, Vol. XV., p. 76, I stated that the nest we 

 were then watching was furnishing some new and interesting 

 information. This chiefly consisted of the effects of the 

 sun and the hen's efforts to shield the young from it. These 

 began as soon as hatching commenced and before it was 

 complete. The hen brooded the young as usual until direct 

 sunlight fell upon the nest. Then almost at once she began 

 to show anxiety. She at first merely shuffled about on the 

 nest until her back was directly opposed to the sun. After a 

 short time she slightly opened and depressed her wings. 

 As the nest became more fully exposed to the sun, the wings 

 were expanded more and more until the outer primaries were 

 separated. At the same time the body was raised so that 

 the bird crouched over the nest ; this crouching appearance 

 was made more pronounced by her bending rather forward 

 until her bill was among the latest added twigs on the rim of 

 the nest. The photograph of her (Vol. XV., p. 75), makes 

 the description clear. This position was maintained for some 

 hours until a branch began to shade the nest. It sheltered 

 the young completely from the sun but allowed air. The 

 only change she made was to raise her body slightly, for 

 perhaps half a minute at most, during which period her head 

 and tail were both further depressed. The tail in this position 

 was never much spread. Before the final position was 

 assumed her restlessness on the nest was due to the young 

 being incommoded by fragments of eggshell on the bark at 

 the bottom of the cup ; these she did her best to bury among 

 the twigs from time to time. This pair of Hawks exhibited 

 rather unusual relations through the incubation and nestling 

 periods. Once during incubation, while the hen was away, 

 the cock came into the nest with a twig. After that I never 

 saw him on the nest again until the young had left it. He 

 hunted, brought his catch to the wood, and called. If the 

 hen- wanted food she left the nest at his first note, though 

 she did not join him immediately, but after moving about 

 the wood for a short time called to him and, on his answering; 

 she flew to him. The usual conversation followed, and then 



