340 INSTINCT OF A HAWK. 



observed a small hawk, flying with a branch 

 of a tree in his mouth, which he dropped on 

 the bank near me, and commenced eating. 

 I immediately rode up to see what he was 

 devouring, and discovered that it was a 

 wasps' nest, formed in the forked part of a 

 small branch of a tree : the hawk had, by 

 constant pecking, broken the branch with 

 his beak, and had then flown with his prey 

 to the river, where he had well ducked them, 

 for the poor wasps appeared half drowned ; 

 and then, as they commenced crawling out 

 of their cells, the hawk ate them one by one. 



With considerable danger of the horses 

 falling, or being carried down the current, 

 we at last reached the opposite bank, and 

 commenced winding up a steep mountain, 

 where deer darted across our path. 



Before we reached the summit night clos- 

 ed in. Shortly after, on arriving at a cot- 



