A HAWK AND HERON COMBAT. 
flying in different directions. The first hawk makes his stoop 
as soon as he gets above the heron, who evades it by a shift, 
and thus gives the second hawk time to get up, and to stoop 
in his turn. In what is termed a good flight, this is fre- 
quently repeated, and the three birds often mount to a great 
height in the air. When one of the hawks seizes his prey, the 
other soon binds to him, as it is termed, and buoyant from the 
motion of their wings, the three descend together to the 
ground with but little velocity. The falconer must lose no 
time in getting hold of the heron’s neck when he is on the 
ground, to prevent him from injuring the hawks. It is then, 
and not when he is in the air, that he will use his beak in his 
defence.” 
The peregrine falcon would seem to entertain a deeper 
hatred for the heron than for any other bird, and that it will 
attack it where and whenever it meets it, and without the 
natural advantages of soaring above and pouncing on its prey 
is demonstrated in the following anecdote, related by a re- 
liable authority. 
“ There was a female peregrine falcon which had been taken 
from the nest and brought up on ordinary hawks’ food, and 
occasionally treated to a small bird. But she had never been 
permitted to fly after game, and her instincts had thus been in 
abeyance. The bird was kept for a day without food, and on 
the following day an old male heron was placed in the same 
room. In order to compensate in some degree for the disad- 
vantageous position of the falcon the beak of the heron had 
been blunted, but otherwise it was a fair conflict. 
“ The heron did not seem to care particularly for the falcon, 
but walked round the room seeking an opportunity of escape, 
while the falcon, perched on a stool, kept watch. Presently 
she made a dash at the heron’s head, but from the low eleva- 
tion of the stool missed her aim, and was struck by a blow 
from the heron’s beak, which would probably have transfixed 
her had it not been blunted. As it was, the falcon was for 
the time repulsed, but soon regained her station on the stool 
and waited for a second opportunity. This was soon given, and 
the falcon made another attack with the same result. 
“ She had now learned experience, and found a perch on a 
box that was rather higher than the stool, but still too low for 
her purpose. The heron still continued his rounds, searching 
on every side for some mode of escape, while the falcon noted 
every movement with a watchful eye. At last she seemed to 
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