THE LADIES MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
141 
and is rather rare. The Osprey is a large species, and lives about lofty 
cliffs on the sea-shore. The Gyr-Falcon is another beautiful but very 
locally distributed bird. The Honey Buzzard is so called because parts 
of a wasp’s comb have been found in their nests by the side of the young 
buzzards—a sign of their being insect-eaters rather than honey-eaters, as 
the larva of wasps is eagerly devoured by many kinds of birds. Moor Buz¬ 
zards are usually seen on waste ground, especially where there is much furze 
and broom, where they nestle and breed. The Gos-Hawk is a large elegant 
bird, and has been trained for hunting the larger kinds of moor-game. 
Next we have the Sparrow-Hawk, one of the least, but certainly one of 
the boldest and most rapacious of the whole tribe. All sorts of small 
birds, and even pigeons, are his usual fare; and when inclined for a lark, 
he flies quickly over and close to the stubble, and if he flushes one, he 
rises instantly after it, and rarely misses his aim. If the lark squats through 
fear, he turns and drops like a stone upon the trembling bird. So well- 
known is the sparrow-hawk to all the feathered race, that his appearance 
is a signal for war among the larger birds; as the raven, rook, crow, 
magpie, jay, and even the domestic poultry, are all up in arms, while the 
smaller birds sound notes of alarm, and fly to covert. The swallow, 
house-marten, and wagtail, despise his powers of wing and vengeance, 
rise to meet him, provoke, and buffet him away from the place. We 
once witnessed a battle between a sparrow-hawk (which we suspected 
was a young one) and a numerous flock of swallows and martens, which 
had congregated before their departure in the autumn. The whole posse 
crowded round the hawk, and their taunts and revilings at last roused his 
anger. Most wrathfully he darted in all directions against his tiny but far 
fleeter foes. He might as well have attacked an army of flies; for though 
he towered repeatedly above all and stooped with all his fierce velocity, 
he failed in every attempt, and at last, fairly tired out, slunk away 
discomfited. 
The sparrow-hawk builds a shallow nest of sticks on trees, and usually 
has a pair in a brood. The young are covered with shaggy white down 
before they are feathered; and they very soon show their natural dis¬ 
position by snapping their beaks at everything that moves near their 
cradle. The young are easily brought up by hand, but not easily tamed, 
they always retaining their natural antipathy against other animals, 
especially other birds. 
The Peregrine Falcon is a handsome bird, but rare ; the species being 
only known in a wild state in Wales. The Grey Falcon is another 
equally handsome and rare species. The smallest of all the hawks is the 
Merlin, which is not above six and a half inches in length. It is very 
