90 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. |cHap. x1. 
CHAPTER XI. 
The Hen-Harrier: Destructiveness to Game; Female of—Trapping—The 
Sparrowhawk: Courage of; Ferocity ; Nest—The Kestrel: Utility of— 
The Merlin: Boldness—The Hobby—Increase of Small Birds. 
In the autumn my partridges suffer much from the hen-harrier. 
As soon as the corn is cut this bird appears, and hunts the whole 
of the low country in the most determined and systematic manner. 
The hen-harrier, either on the hill-side or in the turnip-field, is 
a most destructive hunter. Flying at the height of only a few 
feet from the ground, he quarters the ground as regularly as an 
old pointer, crossing the field in every direction ; nor does he 
waste time in hunting useless ground, but tries turnip-field after 
turnip-field, and rushy field after rushy field, passing quickly 
over the more open ground, where he thinks his game is not so 
likely to be found. The moment he sees a bird, the hawk darts 
rapidly to a height of about twenty feet, hovers for a moment, 
and then comes down with unerring aim on his victim, striking 
dead with a single blow partridge or pheasant, grouse or black- 
cock, and showing a strength not to be expected from his light 
figure and slender though sharp talons. 
I saw on a hill-side in Ross-shire a hen-harrier strike a heath 
hen. I instantly drove him away, but too late, as the head of 
the bird was cut as clean off by the single stroke as if done with 
a knife. On another day, when passing over the hill in the 
spring, I was attended by a hen-harrier for some time, who 
struck down and killed two hen grouse that I had put up. Both 
these birds I contrived to take from him ; but a third grouse rose, 
and was killed and carried off over the brow of a hill before I 
could get up to him. There is no bird more difficult to shoot 
than this. Hunting always in the open country, though ap- 
pearing intent on nothing but his game, the wary bird, with 
an instinctive knowledge of the range of shot, will keep always 
