52 FROM SPRING TO FALL. 



his share of the supper. As he flies down some- 

 thing swishes right past her face, and strikes the 

 fantail before he can settle. A cloud of pure white 

 feathers stream out as the sparrow-hawk carries off 

 his prey. 



He tops the barn and he clears the yard ; but 

 just as he gains the meadows he gets into trouble, 

 for the farmer, who has been after a rabbit, happens 

 to catch sight of him as he comes over the barn, 

 and presents him with the barrel not yet fired 

 off. Down comes the sparrow - hawk with the 

 pigeon ; he is not quite dead, and his last act is 

 to show fight, being game to the backbone. 



The keepers detest this bird, for he works their 

 young birds terribly. The female is much larger 

 than the male, very powerful, and capable of lifting 

 such a bird as a wood-pigeon, partridge, or young 

 pheasant. Young rabbits, too, lose the number 

 of their mess when she comes across them. Even 

 her young are fierce. I remember once giving a 

 shilling for one of these, a little long-legged ball 

 of fluff, at one end of which were two eyes and 

 a bill. Perfectly helpless it was, having been 

 taken from the nest that very day ; yet when I 



