catch male Skylarks ; but it is more common with them to
use the stuffed skin of a small Hawk or Owl, with its wings
extended, than a living bird. The mode of proceeding will
be described under the article on the Skylark.
The Hobby, though a well-known bird, is not very numerous
as a species. I t chooses a high tree to make its
nest on, occasionally taking to the remains of one of suitable
size that has been deserted. The female lays three or four
eggs, like those of all the true Falcons in shape and colour,
—that is, of a short oval form, speckled all over with reddish
brown on a dirty white ground;—the length, one inch eight
lines ; the breadth, one inch four lines.
The localities to be quoted for the Hobby, though extending
over considerable geographical range, are not very
numerous. Dr. Moore has noticed it in Devonshire, and
finds that it breeds in Warleigh Woods. From Mr.
Thompson of Belfast, I have received the information that
this species occurred twice to the late Mr. Templeton, and
was said to have been found breeding among rocks on the
mountains of Wicklow and Londonderry. Mr. Doubleday
has obtained two specimens in the vicinity of Epping; and
Mr. Paget says it is not uncommon during summer in Norfolk.
In the collection of Messrs. Hancock at Newcastle,
is a specimen killed in the county of Durham. Muller says
it inhabits Denmark and Norway; and Pennant, in his
Arctic Zoology, says it visits Siberia.
The Hobby is an inhabitant of the continent of Europe
generally, and is most probably spread over the northern
part of A frica: Dr. Andrew Smith considers it as an inhabitant
also of South Africa in the vicinity of the Cape.
From the eastern part of Europe the Hobby is traced to
Astrachan and to India. Mr. Selby mentions having received
specimens from that country in every respect similar
to our own ; and a collection of birds exhibited at the Zoological
Society in 1831, which was formed by Major James
Franklin on the Ganges between Calcutta and Benares, also
contained specimens of the Hobby.
The food of this species appears to consist of small birds
and large coleopterous insects. My friend Mr. Henry Doubleday
sent me word that the stomachs of two specimens
examined by him were filled with the common dung-chaffer,
Geotrupes stercorarius.
Specimens of the Hobby measure from twelve to fourteen
inches, depending on age or sex. The male bird from
which the figure was taken had the beak bluish horn colour,
darkest at the tip ; the cere greenish yellow, the irides dark
brown ; the top of the head, nape, back, and upper wing-
coverts, greyish black ; the edges of the feathers buffy white ;
the wing-primaries and secondaries nearly black, edged with
dull white: the two middle tail-feathers uniform greyish
black; the others slightly barred with a lighter colour.
The tips also lighter ; the chin and side of the neck white ;
the cheek and moustache black ; the breast, belly, and thighs,
yellowish white, with longitudinal patches of brownish black ;
under tail-coverts dull white ; under surface of the tail-feathers
barred with dull white and greyish black ; the legs and
toes yellow ; the claws black.
Old birds have the upper surface of the body inclining to
bluish grey ; in young birds the plumage is tinged with
rufous.