DIUENAL BIRDS OF PREY 



222) 



oblige it to relinquish its victim, but spare its life, as if in con- 

 tempt of an adversary so inferior to itself. 



?^'. V _i^- 



The Gommou Hawk. 



The Night-Hawk. — By some naturalists this bird is con- 

 sidered as the itrix orientalis. Hasselquist thus describes it: 

 " It is of the size of the common owl, and lodges in the Is^rge 

 buildings, or ruins of Egypt and Syria, and even in dwelling- 

 houses. The Arabs settled in Egypt call it masasa, and the 

 Syrians, hanu. It is extremely voracious in Syria; to such a 

 degree, that if care is not taken to shut the windows at the coming 

 on of night, it enters the house and kills the children. The 

 women, therefore, are very much afraid of it." This voracious 

 bird and nightly robber was pronounced unclean, and forbidden 

 to be eaten by the law of Moses. 



The Sparrow-Hawk is common throughout Europe. It 

 displays great pertinacity in pursuit of its prey, which it will 

 chase for a long while, skimming along a few feet above the 

 ground. One of these hawks was known to dash through a win- 

 dow in pursuit of a small bird. When taken young it is easily 



