94



Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker,



was unable to carry it away, and his feet being entangled in the wet

breast feathers he could not leave it behind and so became an easy

capture.


As soon as we had freed the Falconet’s feet from his dinner

we placed him in a small wicker-work cage with a perch across it,

upon which he clambered and there sat glowering at us. Even

under these depressing circumstances he looked, every one of his six

inches, a regal little bird, and in attitude more like a Golden Eagle

than a true falcon. His head was held low and sticking out,

his shoulders humped, wings slightly spread, and his black eyes

shining wickedly at us from under his prominent eye-brows. For

two days he sulked and would eat nothing, but as he had, just

previous to being caught, eaten a fine meal off the breast of the

Babbler, this did not hurt him.


The third day I arrived home, and was then able to place him

in an aviary, though, as there were none empty, he had to share

one with some Red-footed Kestrels (Erythropus amurensis ) and a

pair of big Woodpeckers (Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus ). The small

Kestrels were about twice the size of the Falconet, the Wood¬

peckers certainly three times his weight and size : moreover, as

the latter had been more than able to hold their own against the

Kestrels, I had no fear for them in regard to the Falconet, though I

was rather nervous for his sake.


My nervousness however was quite unnecessary, for on being

let out of his wicker cage he stretched his wings by flying a couple

of times round the aviary and then sat on a perch which was vacant

and took a look round his new domain. The Kestrels, who were

scattered about on different perches, at once attracted his attention,

and he proceeded to hunch himself up in imitation of an angry eagle,

opening his mouth and gently hissing at the same time, an intima¬

tion to all hearers not to interfere with his lordship. Having

satisfied himself that he had inspired mortal terror into the hearts

of all the other occupants of the cage he then proceeded to start

bullying them, a proceeding to which the meek little Kestrels sub¬

mitted without protest, collecting in a bunch on the perch furthest

from that taken possession of by the little tyrant. For the time

being, this seemed to satisfy him and he dropped his noble attitude,



