312 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



Mr. Wood, "the Falcon was almost always victorioiis, and 

 after it had attained a sufficient altitude, it swept, or 'stooped', 

 as the phrase was, upon the Heron. When the Falcon had 

 closed with its prey, they both came to the ground together. 

 Sometimes, however, the wary Heron contrived to receive 

 its enemy on the point of its sharp beak, and transfixed 

 it by its own impetus." This bird is from fifteen to eighteen 

 inches in length. Mr. Selby in his " Ornithology " says, "In 

 daring disposition, this bird equals most of its congeners. I 

 may be allowed to add the following instance, as having 

 happened vmder my own observation, and as exemplifying 

 not only its determined perseverance in pursuit of its prey, 

 when under the pressure of hunger, but as arguing also an 

 unexpected degree of foresight: — In exercising my dogs upon 

 the moors, previous to the commencement of the shooting- 

 season, I observed a large bird of the hawk genus, hovering 

 at a distance, which, upon approaching, I knew to be a 

 Peregrine Falcon. Its attention was now drawn towards the 

 dogs, and it accompanied them, whilst they beat the surroimding 

 ground. Upon their having found, and sprung a brood of 

 grouse, the falcon immediately gave chase, and struck a 

 young bird, before they had proceeded far upon wing. My 

 shouts and rapid advance, prevented it from securing its 

 prey. The issue of this attempt, however, did not deter the 

 falcon from watching our subsequent movements, and another 

 opportunity soon offering, it again gave chase, and struck 

 down two birds, by two rapidly repeated blows, one of 

 which it secured, and bore off in triumph." 



The "^^^ Sparrow-hawk which measures firom twelve 



Sparrow to fifteen inches long is a terror to smaller 

 Hawk, birds, showing great pertinacity in their pursuit. 

 Mr. St. John says that one pursued a pigeon through his 

 "drawing-room window, and out at the other end of the 

 house through another window, and never slackened its 

 pursuit, notwithstanding the clattering of the broken glass of 



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