CONCERNING A SPARROW HAWK FAMILY 113 



the female in response to the call leave her eggs or young to meet him, and secure 

 the prey. 



When the female returned to the nest she again had a small bird in her 

 talons, which, as before, lacked its head, and the majority of its feathers. Hold- 

 ing this down as on the previous occasion she commenced to tear off tiny 

 pieces, which the youngsters, who had lined up before her as though expecting 

 a feast, pecked from the tip of her beak as it was held out towards them. 



Occasionally she would offer to them an awkwardly shaped piece, which the 

 recipient would find difficult, or impossible, to swallow ; and then, noticing his 

 unsuccessful struggles to get rid of it, she would take it into her own beak again 

 and swallow it herself. 



Considering that the young ones were only ten days old, they had grown, 

 as young creatures do grow, in an amazing manner — already they sat up on 

 their elbows in splendid style, and had looked at me in the most perky way 

 when I climbed up in search for their missing brother. 



The quills too were already coming through the down, although no feathers 

 were yet apparent. 



At about three o'clock, the male brought another bird to the trees, which 

 looked, when the female had carried it on to the nest, like a sparrow, or a green- 

 finch. 



Just a week later another visit was paid to the hawk family, though, before 

 climbing to the observation post, I helped my companion to construct a hiding- 

 place some distance away, from which, with the aid of glasses, he would be 

 able to see the goings-on in the nest. 



Whilst we were making, the hiding-place the female Sparrow Hawk, no 

 doubt watching oiu* movements, soared above the trees. Our presence in fact 

 seemed to have a disquieting effect on her temper, for she made wild dashes at 

 any dangerous-looking bird that came anywhere near to her. At one time three 

 crows were flapping innocently overhead — when the little hawk, recognizing 

 in them some possible enemies, shot up into their midst, and sent them flying 

 in all directions. One of them she singled out for fiu1;her attacks, and the 

 unhappy crow reaUy seemed to be exerting himself to the utmost to avoid her 

 furious onslaught. As she swung at him he would turn head downwards and 

 with wings spread and tail pointing to the sky, came swishing and gliding to- 

 wards the earth like a piece of cardboard that is thrown edgeways into the 

 air. 



A little later a Heron reposefuUy sailed along in the direction of the heronry, 

 and the hawk, now thoroughly worked up, shot after him as though he, too, were 

 an arch-enemy ; the poor Heron squawking frantically as he endeavoured, by 

 doing a corkscrew nose-dive, to get clear of the feathered termagant ! 



When I ultimately looked on to the nest from the observation post I could 

 not help a feeling of surprise that the young hawks had developed so much since 



p 



