HUNTING — FISHING — WARS AND EXPEDITIONS. 3 1 



and caught in mid-air by one of the Merlins, who 

 flies away with him, leaving his companion to hunt 

 alone, while he feeds the young brood.^ 



The Fox also successfully uses this method of 

 coursing with relays. There are indeed few animals 

 who possess so many tricks of all kinds to gain 

 possession of their prey Constantly prowling about 

 the fields, he neglects no propitious circumstance, 

 and profits by all the advantages furnished by the 

 situation of places or the habits of the game he is 

 seeking. He pursues tired or wounded animals 

 whom he meets, and easily masters them. If he 

 finds a burrow, he quickly hollows a hole and brings 

 to light the young rabbits who thought themselves 

 in safety in the bowels of the earth ; he robs nests 

 placed in the thickets, and devours the young birds. 

 Beehives are not protected against his greediness by 

 the stings of the swarms ; he rolls on the earth, 

 crushes his assailants, and finally triumphs over the 

 discouraged insects and gorges himself with honey. 



Birds of prey also invent ingenious combinations 

 to reach a good flier. Most of the great rapacious 

 birds of rapid flight or with powerful talons are so 

 well organised for the chase that they have no need 

 of cunning. To see the prey, to seize it and devour 

 it, are acts accomplished in a moment by the single 

 fact of their natural organisation. It is rather among 

 those who are less well endowed that one finds 

 real art and frequent ruses. The Goshawk {Astur 

 palumbarius. Fig. 3) is suiificiently strong and flies 

 sufficiently well to seize small birds ; but in order to 

 obtain a copious repast at one snatch he prefers to 



^ C. St. John, Wili Sports and Natural History of the Highlands., 

 chap. xL 



