112 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



And as to its head being missing — ^I have usually noticed that the birds 

 brought to the nest by Merlins, Hobbies, Kestrels, and Sparrow Hawks have 

 been decapitated, no doubt because the male, feeUng that his efforts are entitled 

 to some reward, generally eats the head himself. 



Such a tiny bird, encircled by the female's talons, looked ridiculously small, 

 and to all appearance she could have managed one several sizes bigger ; for, 

 holding it on to the nest with the two large middle talons of each foot, she 

 wrenched pieces off with her beak with the utmost ease ; and legs, breast, 

 wings, and what few feathers were still adhering to them, disappeared with the 

 same facility. 



Her meal finished the hawk once more puffed out her feathers, and shuffled 

 on to the family — ^though I noticed that she did not during that morning feed 

 them at all — ^no doubt because young birds when first hatched do not require 

 food for some little while. 



On the following day another young hawk had hatched, and the old Sparrow 

 Hawk seemed to be even more solicitous for the welfare of her family than on 

 the previous day ; for I had hardly settled myself in the observation post 

 when she retiu-ned to the nest, and with very Uttle hesitation commenced to 

 shuffle forward towards them. 



On visiting the nest just ten days later I was surprised to see — ^from the 

 observation post — ^that there were now only four young ones in the nest, and 

 decided to chmb up to see if I could account for the disappearance of the fifth. 



The egg I discovered was stiU intact, and obviously bad, so I threw it 

 overboard, but the missing youngster I failed to trace imtil I had returned to 

 earth, where I discovered it lying dead on the ground beneath the nest. 



So, the problem solved, I returned once more to the observation post and 

 prepared again to await the return of the old bird. Once again she behaved 

 in the most pleasing manner, coming on to the nest before I had been in position 

 for many minutes, and again shuffling towards her young. This time, however, 

 she did not cover them, but instead turned her back towards the sun, which 

 was beating down directly onto the nest, and, by spreading her wings and tail, 

 made a sort of shelter, under the shadow of which they could take refuge from 

 the hot glare. 



The old Sparrow Hawk seemed to feel the heat very considerably herself, 

 for she had her beak open as though panting for breath — ^though it is not at all 

 unusual for any sitting bird to open her beak if the sun should be shining on to 

 her. 



At exactly mid-day the plaintive cry of the male sounded from his favourite 

 tree on the right, and in response the female shpped silently off the nest. 



It may be a coincidence, but I have never yet seen the male of any species 

 of hawk take food actually to the sitting female — ^though I have on coimtless 

 occasions watched one of them bring it to the vicinity of the nest, and have seen 



