OUR HOME BIRDS. 
191 
as it alights shuts its long wings so suddenly that 
they seem instantly to disappear. It sits here in an 
almost perpendicular position, sometimes for an hour 
at a time, frequently jerking its tail, and reconnoi- 
tring the ground below in every direction for mice, 
lizards, and such like. It approaches the farm-house, 
particularly in the morning, skulking about the barn- 
yard for mice or young chickens. 
“ ‘ It frequently plunges into a thicket after small 
birds, as if by random, but always with a particular, 
and generally a fatal, aim. One day I observed a 
bird of this species perched on the highest top of a 
large poplar on the skirts of the wood, and was in 
the act of raising the gun to my eye when he swept 
down with the rapidity of an arrow into a thicket 
of briers about thirty yards off, where I shot him 
dead, and on coming up found the small field-spar- 
row quivering in his grasp. Both our aims had been 
taken in the same instant, and, unfortunately for him, 
both were fatal.’ 
“ The sparrow-hawk is frequently found watching 
along hedge-rows for small birds ; but when grass- 
hoppers are plentiful he devotes much of his atten- 
tion to them. These are varied by small snakes, 
mice, and lizards. 
“ The nest of this bird is usually built in a hollow 
tree where the top or a large limb has been broken 
