Birds. 523 



The power possessed by this bird of poising itself in mid-air is re- 

 markable. I have often watched it immediately before my windows, 

 when a south-wester was at its height, maintaining its position head 

 to wind with apparently but little effort ; while the continual move- 

 ment of the head showed it was fully occupied in scrutinizing the 

 ground below. This bird is so regular and constant in its examina- 

 tion of a piece of rough ground in front of my house, that it serves me 

 as a weather-cock. T almost invariably, on first looking out in the 

 morning, ascertain the direction of the wind from it. 



The propensity to hide the remainder of a meal is another curious 

 trait in the character of this bird. Whether, when in a state of na- 

 ture, it hides what it cannot eat, I know not; but judge it does from 

 the fact of never finding any remains of a kestrel's meal, but feathers 

 only. Every domesticated kestrel I have had opportunity of observ- 

 i ing, has done so. It utters a peculiar clicking note when so engaged, 

 i which a cat of mine learned so well the meaning of, that whenever she 

 heard it, she was on the alert to purloin the morsel as soon as the 

 kestrel had left it deposited, as it supposed, in a place of safety. Puss 

 i was, however, at length detected in her depredations, and seen by the 

 bird watching what sly corner he would select for his hoard. This 

 brought on an amusing trial of skill between the kestrel and the cat, 

 the one to effect, and the other to prevent, the concealment ; and ma- 

 ny a time have 1 stood and laughed at their manoeuvres. 



The kestrel is a favourite of mine ; and I love to watch its easy 

 graceful flight. It possesses, however, few of the characteristics of 

 the true falcon, having little of the courage of the peregrine : for what 

 I have related of it, when tamed, was impudence rather than courage. 

 To the eye it is a falcon; but it certainly deserves to rank at the very 

 bottom of the genus Falco ; though it can hardly be called a connect- 

 ing link between the falcon and the true hawk. Indeed I consider it 

 the most insectivorous of British rapacious birds, and, in the nature 

 of its food, removed but one step from the shrikes ; to one species of 

 which, namely, the red-backed shrike, there is also a curious ap- 

 proach, not only in general form, but also in colours and their distri- 

 bution. The male shrike bears no slight resemblance to the male kes- 

 trel; while the female shrike is no bad miniature of a kestrel of like sex. 



The Sparrow-hawk is as abundant with us as in most wooded dis- 

 tricts. It certainly breeds in the island ; as I have had eggs brought 

 me, as well as young birds that had not long left the nest. I hold the 

 sparrow-hawk to be the worst winged foe, both of the game-keeper 



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