160 
THE KESTREL. 
fact will prove. One of them was observed to seize 
a young Blackbird, just able to fly, which it was 
in the act of carrying off in its talons. The old 
Blackbird gave chase with loud cries, and apparent 
determination to rescue her young one, when the 
Kestrel, having allowed her to approach unmolested, 
in an instant dropped the young bird, and as instan- 
taneously caught up the screaming parent, and car- 
ried her clear away. The habit of hawking on the 
wing has been further proved by its having been seen 
on summer-evenings, darting amongst a swarm of 
Cockchafers, seizing one in each claw, and eating 
them on the wing, and then again darting amongst 
them. 
That birds possibly may, by their swifter flight, 
often escape, is not unlikely; but exclusive of the 
above instances, bird-catchers know to their cost, 
while patiently watching their nets, how often the 
Kestrel, hovering over the field, will pounce down 
and destroy their most valuable call-birds; accord- 
ingly they contrive a suitable trap for catching him, 
which rarely fails. A white napkin is spread upon 
a meadow, and fastened down at the corners with 
little hooked sticks ; on the middle of the napkin a 
live Sparrow is placed, and kept there by means of a 
string, three or four inches in length ; slender twigs 
are stuck up round the four sides of the cloth, to 
prevent the Kestrel from attacking the Sparrow, ex- 
cepting from above. Two long slender twigs of 
weeping willow, well covered with bird-lime, are 
then stuck in the ground, one at each end of the 
napkin, both forming an arch over the Sparrow, but 
at such a distance that it cannot touch them with 
