68 
THE SPARROW HAWK. 
at ease, Ms turns were so short, and at the same time so full of grace, that he seemed to laugh 
to scorn their heavy, lumbering movements. 
“The herons’ savage cries were apparently— evidently might almost be said— caused by 
the Hawk’s make-believe attempts to carry off their young, as they were particularly violent 
and vociferous whenever he made a swoop— as I remarked him to do thrice— at the top of 
a particular tree. It seemed a mere play or bravado on the part of the Hawk, as he could 
easily, in spite of the herons, have borne off the contents of the nest any time, were the prey 
not too bulky for his purpose. Mr. R. Langton has not only observed a wild Sparrow Hawk 
strike his sea-eagles when perching on their sheds, but when his golden eagle was on the wing, 
has seen one of these birds strike it when passing, and once even witnessed the Hawk’ s turn- 
ing back and repeating the impertinence.” 
The same author also mentions several instances of the extreme audacity of the Sparrow 
Hawk when urged b^ hunger. One of these birds actually snatched up a little white pea- 
chick, selecting it from the rest of the brood, while a lady was engaged in feeding it. A 
similar circumstance occurred to a gamekeeper who was feeding young pheasants, a Sparrow 
Hawk suddenly sweeping down upon them and carrying off one of their number. Next day 
it repeated the attempt, but as the keeper had taken the precaution to bring Ms gun, the 
Hawk fell a victim to his own temerity. Again, as some persons were shooting dunlins from a 
boat, a Sparrow Hawk suddenly shot through the smoke of the discharged gun, and poising 
itself for an instant, swept a wounded dunlin from the surface of the water with such marvel- 
lous dexterity, that it did not wet a feather of its wings. 
In consequence of the headlong courage possessed by this handsome little Hawk, it is very 
valuable to the falconer if properly trained, for it will dash at any quarry which may be 
pointed out to it. Unfortunately, however, the Sparrow Hawk is one of the most difficult and 
refractory of pupils, being shy to a singular degree, slow at receiving a lesson and qmck at for- 
getting it. Besides, its temper is of a very crabbed and uncertain nature, and it is so quarrel- 
some, that if several of these birds should be fastened to the same perch, or placed in the same 
cage, they will certainly fight each other, and, in all probability, the conqueror will eat his 
vanquished foe. Such an event has actually occurred, the victrix — for it was a female — kill- 
ing and devouring her intended spouse. 
Few birds are so easily startled as the Sparrow Hawk, for even when it is comparatively 
tame, the presence of a stranger, or even the shadow of passing bird in the air, will throw it 
into a paroxysm of excitement, during which it seems to lose all consciousness of external 
objects. This curious trait of character a practical falconer describes most graphically in the 
following terms : “The young falconer will naturally be disappointed to find the bird which 
came so well to hand yesterday, now on the first day of its being carried, stare wildly with its 
mad eyes, and bate violently. It will probably hang down at the end of the jesses and swivel, 
and dart off again the moment it is quietly replaced. More than this, the very power of 
standing will appear to have left it ; the claws will be clenched and distorted ; the whole 
creature will be changed ; instead of a tolerably bold and very handsome bird, the transition of 
a few minutes will present you with a terrified, crouching, vicious, abject wretch ; a horrible 
mixture of fright and feathers. 
‘ £ Some people think that the helpless look of the feet and legs arises only from temper, 
and that it is a sham. It may arise from temper, but it is not a sham. It appears to me that 
this bird’s brain is overcharged with electricity or something fearfully subtle ; and that on the 
smallest provocation, these fluids shoot through the whole frame, overturning and decaying 
everything that is healthy and regular. The Sparrow Hawk’s legs are, during these fits of 
fright and passion, in a temporary paralysis. Still, they are of short duration, and when the 
bird is trained, they pass away altogether.” The same writer sums up the character of the 
Sparrow Hawk as a pupil in the following energetic language : “ The Sparrow Hawk is, in my 
opinion, the wildest, in some sense the most intractable, the most ungrateful, the most pro- 
voking and temper-trying of all birds or beasts that ever were taken under the care of man 
from the beginning of the world.” 
