46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



AN OBSEEVATIONAL DIAEY ON THE DOMESTIC 



HABITS OF THE SPAEROW-HAWK {ACCIPITER 



NISUS). 



By Edmund Selous. 



May 30th, 1910. — In a very sequestered little clump of 

 beeches lying a good way off the road — itself quiet enough — and 

 approached by a wild bridle-path, lovely with broom, I came this 

 afternoon upon the nest of a pair of Sparrow-Hawks. One 

 of them was upon it, and I saw it several times fly off and return, 

 from which, as well as the lateness of the season, I at first sup- 

 posed that there was a brood of young ones, but could never 

 observe that the bird, in returning, carried anything either in 

 beak or claws, which raises a doubt as to this. She would often, 

 after flying in, stand, for a little, on the rim of the nest, before 

 entering it, or even fly off again, without doing so. When she 

 did settle herself down, her head was visible above the rim of 

 the nest. Though the latter was much more visible than might 

 have been expected, situated, as it was, in the top, though not 

 the high top, of a beech with others close about it, all now in 

 fair foliage, yet I could not make out that young birds were 

 being fed, though the old one generally bent down its head into 

 the nest. This, however, might be in connection with the eggs. 

 So far as I can be sure, it was always the one bird that I saw — 

 the female probably — and this, again, looks as though incubation 

 were still proceeding. 



May 31st. — Watched the covert from about 5.30 a.m. to 

 6 a.m., but did not see the bird issue from it. Going inside, she 

 saw me and flew from the nest, and I then watched her back, 

 and off, and on again. In returning the second time she had 

 something in her bill. It was small, thin, and hung limply, and 

 had more the shape and appearance of a slug than anything 

 else. The bird generally perches in a tree near the nest before 

 flying on to the latter, and it then utters a little squeaking cry, 

 something like that of the Kestrel, but not nearly so shrill. As 



