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KALCO SITIJTUITEO. (Linn.) 

 Hobby. 



This beautiful species of Hawk is I believe rare, 

 throughout this country, and as far as my own observation 

 goes, is more common in Yorkshire than elsewhere ; not 

 having however, had an opportunity of seeing much of 

 its habits, I avail myself of the infonnation of Mr. Hoy. 



The Hobby is a late breeder, seldom having eggs before 

 the first week in J une. It very rarely, if ever, builds its own 

 nest, but takes possession of that of a Crow or Magpie, pre- 

 fening those which are placed near the tops of high trees : 

 its usual number of eggs is three, sometimes, however, only 

 two ; Mr. Hoy tells me, he has never met ^^^th more than 

 three ; they are not subject to vary much, all the specimens 

 which I have seen, with the exception of Fig 2, being very 

 similar to Fig. 1 of the plate ; they resemble closely some 

 eggs of the Kestrel, but are more regularly marked, and less 

 suffused with colour. Fig. 2, though of very rare occurrence, 

 is given to show a light coloured variety, to which the eggs 

 of some other species of Hawks are subject ; those of the 

 Kestrel, Merlin, Sparrow-Hawk, &c. 



The Hobby, though it may be met with breeding in large 

 woods, seems very partial to isolated groves of fir or other 

 trees, situated in an open coimtry, where it can not only pur- 

 sue with advantage the feathered tribe, but also capture vast 

 numbers of coleopterous and other insects, upon which it 

 feeds very much. I have once seen the nest of the Hobby 

 upon a ledge of rock on the face of a perpendicular cliff, in a 

 situation similar to that frequently occupied by the Kestrel. 



