50 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



within it, but did not see either of them fly out. Thus on three 

 days successively the male has called the female off the nest, but 

 not on three successive mornings, but only on the two fine ones 

 — for it was fine this morning again. 



June 14th. — In plantation considerably before 3 a.m., by my 

 watch, and sat down in another place, where I thought I might 

 have a better chance of seeing something of the birds, should 

 they come together again, though the nest itself was now out of 

 sight. 



At 3.20 heard the cry, but saw nothing, but at 3.55 a bird, 

 which I mistook for a Cuckoo, made a little flitting circle or two, 

 quite noiselessly, amidst the trunks of the beeches, then settled 

 on a branch of one of them, in full view, and began rapidly to 

 lower and again raise its head. It still looked like a Cuckoo, 

 till, turning the glasses upon it, it became a hawk, rapidly 

 devouring something which it had in its claws, and on which it, 

 as it were, stood. What this something was I could not make 

 out, but the hawk made several very fine little pecks at it with 

 just the tip of its hooked bill, which did not seem to be followed 

 by any process of swallowing, and certainly produced no gobbet, 

 or anything I could see. These, I thought, might have been for 

 the removal of a feather here and there, but I saw nothing that 

 looked like a serious plucking. Whilst the hawk was thus 

 devouring its prey a ray of the newly risen sun fell upon it, 

 though but palely, both improving the view and adding to the 

 charm of the picture. Having apparently devoured everything, 

 the hawk turned itself about on the bough, ruffled and shook its 

 feathers, preened itself a little, and flew off in the direction 

 of the nest. Shortly afterwards I heard the cry. The repast 

 hardly took five minutes. It appeared to be bolted in large 

 pieces, and, at the last, I saw something go down that looked 

 hard and horny — possibly a small bird's beak. For the most 

 part, however, the light was not strong enough to show me the 

 details of the feast. 



After this I both heard the cry, and saw one, at least, of the 

 birds, flying in the plantation several times. Once I saw it 

 perch again (if the same), but could get no view of it after 

 it had. About 4.45 I saw both birds flying together amongst the 

 beech-tops, one as if it were attending the other, and uttering 



