115 

 OBSERVATIONS AND QUERIES. 



Breeding Habits of the Sparrow-Hawk. — Living, as I do, in one of 

 the most thickly -wooded portions of the Weald of Kent, I have had oppor- 

 tunities of studying the breeding habits of both Sparrow-Hawk and Kestrel. 

 I can safely say that all the nests of the former species I have met with 

 within the last six years — and these number over a score — have invariably 

 been built by the birds themselves. In this locality the larch or fir are 

 chosen in preference to the oak for the nest, which is generally placed at 

 a height of 25 to 30 ft. from the ground, and always possessing a south 

 aspect. The back of the nest is placed against the main liinb of the tree, 

 while the structure itself rests on a couple of jutting-out branches. The 

 following is a description of a Sparrow-Hawk's nest, which I take from my 

 diary for May 15th, 1896 : — " Found a nest of Accipiter nisus in the Bedge- 

 bury Woods. It was placed at a height of about 20 ft., upon a joint (close 

 to the main stem) of two minor branches of a fir tree, which was situated 

 within half a mile of a pheasantry. Larch and fir predominate in the 

 immediate locality. The bulk of the nest consisted of freshly-plucked 

 larch-twigs, while scraps of fir-bark and green moss constituted the lining. 

 Diameter measured 1 ft. 6 in. The rim of nest covered with down, easily 

 visible from the ground. This affords a mark to the keepers when looking 

 for their nests." Before concluding, I may add that the Bedgebury Woods 

 harbour, during the breeding season, many pairs of magpies. The Crow 

 also breeds there sparingly. — Boyd Alexander. 



On May 23rd I examined a Sparrow-Hawk's nest built in a birch tree on 

 Bowness Moss, which had been robbed a fortnight before. Having read 

 Mr. Davenport's article I took special pains to examine the nest. The basis 

 of the nest was an old one, probably a Carrion Crow's, as there are plenty 

 of them about, and the superstructure was the work of the Hawks them- 

 selves. The next I examined was one in Bingmoor Woods, on May 26th. 

 This wood is chiefly composed of birch trees, but at the side of the wood 

 there are three fir trees. In one of the fir trees this Hawk built its nest. 

 The nest was built throughout by the birds themselves. There was no 

 foundation for it to begin on of any description whatever, neither were there 

 any twigs lying on the branches to serve as a foundation. I may also state 

 that it was built on the lateral branches and quite a yard from the trunk of 

 the tree. — T. L. Johnston (35, Lome Street, Carlisle). 



I notice that Mr. Kearton says, in his "British Birds' Nests," that he 

 has taken some eight or ten nests of this bird, and in every instance the 

 nests were made by the birds. Now, in a paper called " Chums," Mr, 

 Kearton, to use his own words, says " the Sparrow-Hawk is, as far as nest- 



