160 
THE BIRDS OF HAMPSHIRE. 
Shanklin Downs for three or four days in 1896, and on 
enquiry he has kindly informed us — " They were observed 
by a friend of mine, the late Guy Attwood, who was a good 
observer. He was within ten yards or less of one of the 
birds, which was busily engaged feeding on a half-grown 
rabbit, which it had apparently captured. He had stuffed 
examples of most of the British birds of prey, and was 
very familiar with their appearance. He described the 
flight of the birds, which corresponded with that given in 
the books. . . . The birds were neither of them shot or 
captured." 
This species was not included in Kelsall's nor in 
Mr. Meade-Waldo's list, and we are unable to hear of any 
authentic local specimen, — other than tamed birds — in any 
collection in the county.] 
Genus — Accipiter, 
133. Accipiter nisus. Sparrow-Hawk. 
" Sometime the sparhawk, wheel'd along, 
Hush'd all the groves from fear of wrong." 
Tennyson's " Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere.''^ 
Still a fairly common resident throughout the county 
and Isle of Wight. 
Gilbert White mentions ^ a pair which bred in an old 
crow's nest on a low beech in Selborne Hanger, and preyed 
on new-flown swallows and martins ; but we are inclined 
to think that these may have been hobbies— for the date 
of there being young— July— is late for . sparrow-hawks ; 
* Letter xliii. to Pennant. 
