BIRDS OF PREY 81 



by fate, and then it will feel eight sharp talons 

 plunged into its flesh. I have seen the fierce dash 

 of the sparrow hawk into a crowd of unsuspecting 

 sparrows, I know the triumph of the falcon as it 

 rises for the final, fatal swoop on the flying duck, 

 and I have watched the kestrel, high in air, scanning 

 the field for some rash mouse or lizard that has 

 wandered too far from shelter. The owl is also a 

 bird of prey, but its idea is different from all these. 



