VOL. VIII.] HABIT8 OF SPARROW-HAWK. 155 



I am afraid there is no doubt that both are Uable to 

 be destructive of young game-birds when these are 

 being reared near their omii nurseries, but even so, 

 I personally -would not condemn them. This, however. 

 is merely a question of whether one's preferences 

 are for Hawks or game. There is one point worth 

 mentioning from which it seems evident that it by 

 no means follo^\•s that 8parrow-Hawks are certain to 

 prey on young Pheasants in coops adjacent to their 

 nest. In the orchard about fifty yards from the 

 nesting tree were many fowls, and coops of cliickens of 

 all ages, and so far as I could ascertain not one was 

 taken. 



The birds brought to the nest were chiefly Song- 

 Thrushes, Mistle -Thrushes, Blackbirds, and less often 

 Sparrows and birds of similar size. In the early days 

 the birds brought were not only plucked but skinned, 

 and were only recognizable by heads or legs rescued 

 after my watch was ended. Later, skinning was often, 

 but not always, neglected; but although unplucked or 

 partially plucked birds were brought occasionally, this 

 was rare. The first date on which I saw the young 

 Hawks tear up food for themselves was the 16th of 

 July, when they were about three weeks old, but I 

 had not been to the nest since the 11th, and they had 

 groA^n considerably in the five days that had elapsed 

 and may well have helped themselves sooner. 



A brief account in detail of the watches I kept and 

 the periods at Avliich food was brought may be of 

 interest. It must be remembered, however, that my 

 presence in the hut may at times have had a disturbing 

 influence on the visits of the adult Hawks. The male 

 never once, while I was present, remained to break 

 up food for the young, although he occasionally came 

 and left a bird on the nest. Although I have no actual 

 evidence, there seems to be no doubt that the male 

 caught and dressed manj^ of the birds brought to the 

 nest by the female. On one occasion, at any rate, she 



