DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE SPARBOW-HAWK. 109 



ate, only, herself, nor did I see anything of the chicks, but, after 

 a time, she began to give them a little, and they then became 

 very conspicuous — like little white ghosts or hobgoblins — so that 

 it would have been impossible to have missed them, had they 

 been fed before — even more so than the grown bird were there 

 degrees in impossibility. I could only See two, however, and 

 begin to think that this may be the full number. The above 

 tallies with a previous observation (June 24th) when the hen 

 (from the first lightening) came twice to the nest and, each time, 

 tore up and devoured something herself, but I could not make 

 out that she fed the chicks before the third visit, with booty 

 (remarkable as being brought by the male) at 8.25. Then, 

 however, the chicks were younger, and. might have done 

 perhaps with more sleep and less early feeding. 



It was not till after 6.30 that I again heard the cry of the 

 male hawk (as I supposed) in the plantation — but very subdued. 

 I was then away from the home-tree, but the female had kept on 

 the nest up to a few minutes before this, and on returning to 

 my post again— still hearing this very subdued weak note — I 

 found the nest empty. I now walked into the open and saw one 

 of the hawks flying, as before, over small trees and tree-bushes, 

 into one of which he went down. When he rose from it again, 

 a little later, he came flying swiftly down towards me, and, as he 

 neared me, I saw that he carried something — a fragment, 

 smaller I thought than on other occasions, but unmistakable. 

 He flew into the plantation, whither I followed and saw either 

 him again still flying with it, amongst the trees, or else the 

 female who had received it from him. I thought, at the 

 time, it was the female, and there had been ample time for 

 the delivery, which, as has been seen, is a very quick afifair. 

 Walking to observe the nest, I found it still empty, but, in a 

 moment or two, the female flew on to it and began to tear up 

 and distribute to the chicks. I think now that the subdued cry 

 which I heard in the plantation was not that of the male but of 

 the female hawk who had left the nest, probably impatient for 

 lier partner's arrival. I had, indeed, received the impression of 

 another hawk flying outside the plantation, besides the one I 

 have mentioned. Of this, however, I could not be sure. 

 There is no reason why the female, having thus left the nest. 



