68 THE SPARROW HAWK. 



at ease, Ms turns were so short, and at the same- time so full of grace, that he seemed to laugh 

 to scorn their heavy, lumbering movements. 



"The herons' savage cries were apparently — evidently might almost be said — caused by 

 the Hawk's make-believe attempts to carry off their young, as they were particularly violent 

 and vociferous whenever he made a swoop — as I remarked him to do thrice — at the top of 

 a particular tree. It seemed a mere play or bravado on the part of the Hawk, as he could 

 easily, in spite of the herons, have borne off the contents of the nest any time, were the prey 

 not too bulky for his purpose. Mr. E.. Langton has not only observed a wild Sparrow Hawk 

 strike his sea-eagles when perching on their sheds, but when his golden eagle was on the wing, 

 has seen one of these birds strike it when passing, and once even witnessed the Hawk's turn- 

 ing back and repeating the impertinence." 



The same author also mentions several instances of the extreme audacity of the Sparrow 

 Hawk when urged by himgei'. One of these birds actually snatched up a little white pea- 

 chick, selecting it from the rest of the brood, while a lady was engaged in feeding it. A 

 similar circumstance occurred to a gamekeeper who was feeding young j^heasants, a Sparrow 

 Hawk suddenly sweeping down upon them and carrying off one of their number. Next day 

 it repeated the attempt, but as the keeper had taken the larecaution to bring his gun, the 

 Hawk fell a victim to his own temerity. Again, as some persons were shooting dunlins from a 

 boat, a Sparrow Hawk suddenly shot thi'ough the smoke of the discharged gun, and poising 

 itself for an instant, swept a woimded dunlin from the surface of the water with such marvel- 

 lous dexterity, that it did not wet a feather of its wings. 



In consequence of the headlong courage j)ossessed by this handsome little Hawk, it is very 

 valuable to the falconer if properly trained, for it will dash at any quarry which may be 

 pointed out to it. Unfortunately, however, the Sparrow Hawk is one of the most difficult and 

 refractory of pupils, being shy to a singular degree, slow at receiving a lesson and quick at for- 

 getting it. Besides, its temper is of a very crahbed and uncertain nature, and it is so quarrel- 

 some, that if several of these birds should be fastened to the same perch, or placed in the same 

 cage, they will certainly light each other, and, in all probability, the conqueror ^\i^ eat his 

 vanquished foe. Such an event has actually occurred, the victrix — for it was a female — kill- 

 ing and devouring her intended spouse. 



Few birds are so easily startled as the Sparrow Hawk, for even when it is comparatively 

 tame, the presence of a stranger, or even the shadow of passing bird in the air, vsdll throw it 

 into a paroxysm of excitement, during which it seems to lose all consciousness of external 

 objects. This curioiis trait of character a practical falconer describes most graphically in the 

 following terms : "The young falconer will naturally be disappointed to find the bird which 

 came so well to hand yesterday, now on the first day of its being carried, stare wildly with its 

 mad eyes, and bate violently. It will probably hang down at the end of the jesses and swivel, 

 and dart off again the moment it is quietly replaced. More than this, the very power of 

 standing will appear to have left it ; the claws will be clenched and distorted ; the whole 

 creature will be changed ; instead of a tolerably bold and very handsome bird, the transition of 

 a feAv minutes will present you with a terrified, crouching, vicious, abject wretch ; a horrible 

 mixture of fright and feathers. 



" Some people think that the helpless look of the feet and legs arises only from temper, 

 and that it is a sham. It may arise from temper, but it is not a sham. It appears to me that 

 this bird' s brain is overcharged with electricity or something fearfully subtle ; and that on the 

 smallest provocation, these fluids shoot through the whole frame, overturning and decaying 

 everything that is healthy and regular. The Sparrow Hawk's legs are, during these fits of 

 fright and passion, in a temporary paralysis. Still, they are of short duration, and when the 

 bird is trained, they pass away altogether." The same writer sums up the character of the 

 Sparrow Hawk as a i^upil in the following energetic language : "The Sparrow Hawk is, in my 

 opinion, the wildest, in some sense the most intractable, the most ungrateful, the most ]3ro- 

 voking and temper-trjnng of all birds or beasts that ever were taken under the care of man 

 from the beginning of the world." 



