32 APRIL AWAKENING. 



pinions carefully over his back, he casts quick, wist- 

 ful glances down to the stream as though he longed 

 to play a good talon and beak on a plump frog or 

 mouse. But he only sees game too large for him, 

 with which he dare not "enter the list," and soon 

 hustles off toward the oak woods, the next station 

 on his air line, where refreshments are likely to be 

 procured. 



How light and easy his flight is compared with 

 that of the crow ! He carries more sail in propor- 

 tion to his weight and size, while that long, broad 

 tail helps to buoy him up, as he wheels and dips 

 and rolls on the aerial ocean. As he inclines to 

 one side, like a graceful yacht sailing on the wind 

 under full press of canvas, I can make out with a 

 glass his ashy-blue wings, marked with black and 

 white. 



It was not long before that this same robber 

 was seen in the character of a bushranger. He 

 ffew down like a rocket from an oak near by into 

 an elder bush for some small birds which had 

 been feeding on the ground amongst the shrub- 

 bery, but which, as they became aware of the 

 hawk's presence, immediately huddled themselves 

 together at the foot of a thick bush to protect 

 themselves. The highwayman made three unsuc- 

 cessful attempts to capture a dinner; each time 

 rising about two feet above the bush and then 

 darting down, swiftly as an arrow shot from a 



