VOL. XV.] HABITS OF SPARKOW-HAWK. 2^ 



them on Jul}^ 19th. Nott went to the nest on July 20th and 

 found that two had left and the other seemed on the point of 

 going. I went on July 21st and found that two were in the 

 tree and one on the nest. Two left the tree and flew quite 

 strongly as I climbed up. The other remained perched some 

 feet from the nest until I was in the act of focussing her when 

 she went and T saw no more of them in the hour and a half I 

 was al^le to stay. Of course they returned to the nest for 

 food for some time after as usual, but I could not get photo- 

 graphs though they came on to the nest while I was in the hut 

 more than once. The nestling period therefore for these birds 

 was not more than twenty-fi\T days, whereas twentj'-eight to 

 thirty is more usual with undisturbed birds. 



During the latter part of the nestling period I think the 

 cock must have begun to bring food on to the nest again, 

 although I never saw him do so. However, on July 20th. 

 while I was in the hut and the young out of the nest-tree, he 

 alighted on the nest after much calling, but darted off without 

 dropping any food. At this time I was unable to spare very 

 much time for watching at the nest. 



Another point that interested me greatly about this nest 

 was the disposal of food. If the hen brought food when the 

 sun was on the nest she dropped it and shielded the young, 

 and never worried about it attracting flies or anything of that 

 sort. After a meal, however, she was as careful as usual to 

 remove any fragments of bone, flesh or feather. After the 

 young were some sixteen days old she became less careful 

 about this, and it was no uncommon sight to find remains, 

 such as wing -tips of the larger victims, leg-bones, or breast- 

 bones on the nest. These showed that a large number of 

 Blackbirds and Starlings were caught. At first these were 

 daily replaced by a new lot, but as the nestling period neared 

 its end the accumulation increased and the variety of bones 

 also. This showed that the young were allowed to feed 

 themselves and that the hen no longer broke it up for them. 

 In most nests it is not usual for bones to be found left about 

 the nest until the last three days of the nestling period. 



The reader will be able to grasp something of the hardships 

 endured to get these notes and photographs when he learns 

 that the hut was made of coarse sacking and was absolutelj' 

 unshaded from the sun. The heat was almost unbearable 

 at times, as it reached 92° in the shade on July nth and was 

 over 90° on two other days while I was in the hut. 



