160 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS.  [cmap. xrx. 
back to his own side of the river, the rightful owner of the 
eggs pursuing the active little robber with loud cries and the 
most awkward attempts at catching him. 
The heron is a noble and picturesque looking bird, as she sails 
quietly through the air with outstretched wings a. d slow flight ; 
but nothing is more ridiculous and undignified than her appear- 
ance as she vainly chases the jackdaw or hooded crow who is 
carrying off her egg, and darting rapidly round the angles and 
corners of the rocks. Now and then every heron raises its head 
and looks on the alert as the peregrine falcon, with rapid and 
direct flight, passes their crowded dominion; but intent on his 
own nest, built on the rock some little way farther on, the hawk 
takes no notice of his long-legged neighbours, who soon settle 
down again into their attitudes of rest. The kestrel-hawk fre- 
quents the same part of the river, and lives in amity with the 
wood-pigeons that breed in every cluster of ivy which clings to 
the rocks. Even that bold and fearless enemy of all the pigeon 
race, the sparrowhawk, frequently has her nest within a few 
yards of the wood-pigeon, and you see these birds (at all other 
seasons such deadly enemies) passing each other in their way to 
and fro from their respective nests in perfect peace and amity. 
It has seemed to me that the sparrowhawk and wood-pigeon 
during the breeding-season frequently enter into a mutual com- 
pact against the crows and jackdaws, who are constantly on the 
look-out for the eggs of all other birds. The hawk appears to 
depend on the vigilance of the wood-pigeon to warn him of the 
approach of these marauders; and then the brave little warrior 
sallies out, and is not satisfied till he has driven the crow to a & 
safe distance from the nests of himself and his more peaceable 
ally. At least in no other way can I account for these two 
birds so very frequently breeding not only in the same range of 
rock, but within two or three yards of each other. 
