THE GAMEKEEPER AND HIS GOLGOTHA. 07 



head and wondrously adapted feet of an Osprey 

 or Fish-hawk. This was shot among the rocks, 

 in winter, down by the bay. There are a num- 

 ber of Carrion Crows, birds that destroy great 

 quantities of the eggs of game. These, too, were 

 shot in the side-channels when the weather was 

 severe. They go there to feed upon floating 

 offal and the various crustaceans that are washed 

 up by the tide. Below the Crows are the gaudy 

 remains of blue-winged Jays, and the glossy 

 purple and white plumage of once-audacious 

 Magpies. The grey-pated Daw is there, a 

 single Hooded Crow, and the still more rare 

 Great Grey Shrike. 



This list betrays a deplorable want of discre- 

 tion on the part of the old Keeper. He might 

 well have spared the Kestrel, as it rarely flies at 

 larger game than mice and cockchafers. In the 

 vicinity of farmsteads and ricks this little falcon 

 does almost incalculable good in destroying the 

 small rodents that swarm in such places. The 

 Sparrow-hawk is more difficult to defend ; few 

 birds come amiss to it as prey, and at certain 

 seasons it destroys quantities of young game. 

 A full grown Partridge it can and does occa- 

 sionally pull down. But the beautiful Merlin, 



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