THE SPARROWHAWK. 
563 
at last attracted the attention of a passing labourer, who 
managed to seize the Sparrowhawk; not, however, before 
the Jay had been killed.” 
In April the Sparrowhawks retire to the larger woods 
to breed, especially in the thickets. It is rare that the 
nest is placed at any great height from the ground, it 
being generally situated on the top of a fir-tree of moderate 
height. The nest is composed of dry twigs, and lined 
inside with moss and hair; an old Crow’s nest is often 
used as a foundation. The eggs, from three or four, to 
sometimes six and even seven in number, are of a 
greenish white, spotted or blotched with yellowish or 
reddish brown. The female sits closely for three weeks, 
during which time she is fed by the male. Both the parent 
birds are really foolhardy in the boldness they display 
when their brood is in danger, and will defend their 
young, even against man, with the greatest courage. 
The striking difference in size between the male and 
female is visible in the young birds, only a few days after 
they are hatched. As with all birds of prey, they are at 
first covered with woolly down, but soon get their first 
feathers. During the breeding season the Sparrowhawk 
is a regular scourge to all small animals, on account of 
the young requiring a great amount of nourishment. 
Small birds, mice, and sometimes insects, form their 
food until able to fly. 
The use of the Sparrowhawk to man is entirely 
confined to its capacity for being trained for hawking 
purposes, while the damage it inflicts is immeasurable. 
This bird thoroughly understands the art of devastating 
a whole district or beat, scarcely leaving a single pair of 
songsters in the land of the living. Inasmuch as it does 
little else but destroy those birds which are useful, it 
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