NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



carried off their young from the same cliffs, but 

 now return only at rare intervals, or when 

 storm-driven. 



The Peregrines have the eagles' eyries, and 

 are eagles in miniature. Sea-fowl form their 

 food in summer, as do ducks, plover, and game 

 in winter. At this latter season, the Osprey, or 

 Fish-hawk, comes to the bay and. the still moun- 

 tain tarns, adding wildness to the scenes which 

 its congeners have left never to return. 



We are lying on the outskirts of a dark pine- 

 wood interspersed with firs and hollies. A 

 large bird has just flown into that clump of 

 trees on the hillside opposite. There it sits 

 on a dead bough, with its mottled breast 

 towards us, and restless head quickly turning 

 from side to side. Against the dark-green 

 foliage we see the bright orange of its tarsi, 

 and know it to be a Sparrow-hawk. As it 

 flies from the clump, a pair of missel-thrushes 

 and a flock of smaller birds follow in its wake, 

 but dare not mob it. It swoops as one ap- 

 proaches too near, glides upward, and pursues 

 its way, scarcely deigning to note the screech- 

 ing mob. The hawk glides silently into 

 the wood, threading its sinuous way through 



