before one occurs; the morning and the evening are the best time. Just before the breeding season, where you are certain of finding two together, it is not a bad plan, on finding out the roosting place, to endeavour to kill only the female, and not return again till after an interval of three days, when you will find that the cock has brought another female. I have known a keeper, by adopting this plan, kill seven female birds, and thus get rid of the whole breed in the vicinity for at least one season.

The Blue, or Peregrine Falcons, are equally destructive to game on the moors; but they are not so common as the hen harrier. These birds build in the wildest parts of the mountains, in the highest and most inaccessible rocks, and can be shot in the breeding season, by awaiting their arrival at their nests in concealment. The hen bird is very handsome; the back of the head and near it is of a darkish blue; outside of the wings, lighter blue, and in the centre of the back and towards the points of the wings; the under part of the neck white; the breast buff, covered with darkish spots, the lower part with dark streaks. Its weight, from two pounds to two pounds and a half. Length between the extreme points of the wings, from 38 to 42 inches; from the beak to the end of the tail, 17 inches. The legs and claws are amazingly strong and powerful; the legs

yellow, the claws black; the beak is short and strong, the upper part curved and pointed, longer than the lower part; both are jagged and denticulated. At the root of the beak there is a yellow rim nearly half an inch in depth; there is also a yellow rim or border round the eyes, which are large. In the event of a grouse being found recently killed by either falcon or hen harrier, a trap neatly set by the side of it, without disturbing the position of the grouse, is almost certain to succeed, as all hawks invariably return to the birds which they have killed, but they will not touch a dead bird which they have not killed themselves..

I must not omit to mention the Merlin, which, although a small hawk, is very mischievous, and does considerable damage amongst grouse and partridges; and although it only weighs half a pound, will knock down a black cock. It is extremely active, and astonishingly quick in flight. Both the cock and female are handsome, but the cock is the handsomer of the two; his head, back, and outside of the wings are of a darkish blue; the throat white, with some brown and reddish feathers between the white of the throat and the blue of the head; the breast is of a brownish red. The female is of a lighter blue on the head, back, and outside of the wings; the breast buff coloured, streaked with brown; the beak short, the upper one

curved and sharp; the claws long and very sharp. Length from point of beak to end of tail, thirteen inches; the tail, six inches.

in the heather, and may be

breeding season.

These birds build

easily shot in the

The Kestrils do but little damage to game, living chiefly on mice; they also feed their young with them. They, however, sometimes take small birds; and, should they encounter any young partridges or young pheasants, they may take them. These are easily shot in the breeding season. They build in the rocks.

The Sparrow Hawk is a very destructive bird, especially fatal to partridges and young pheasants. The female is larger, heavier, and of greater length than the cock bird. They are very sharpsighted, quick in flight, and active in their movements; they skim along the surface of the ground with amazing rapidity, pouncing upon their game almost as soon as found, and seldom miss their aim. They are rarely to be seen on the moors, but generally frequent inclosures. They build in low trees; sometimes in a white or black thorn bush. The cock bird is about the same length as the merlin, but a little larger and heavier; the hen bird is three or four inches longer, and much heavier.

I have seen but few kites in those parts of Scotland where I have resided. They sometimes

visit farmyards and carry off young chickens and ducks, with a degree of boldness not usually characteristic of them; but I should rather imagine, when they venture on these feats of audacity, they are urged by excessive hunger, in which extremity all hawks are very daring, as I have frequently witnessed, in the case of both the merlin and falcon. The former I have lately seen on two occasions pursuing a thrush or other small bird within a few yards of me, backwards and forwards, nothing daunted. I unfortunately had no gun with me; and in the month of August, when grouse shooting, a single grouse rose before me and a brother sportsman, and was immediately shot by the latter. The grouse had no sooner reached the ground, than a falcon descended on him with the rapidity of lightning, and was instantly shot by my friend's second barrel, his claws being firmly fixed in the grouse. There were three other persons present, and several dogs, so that there can be no question as to the boldness of the falcon. He was, however, only a one-year-old bird. Where he came from previous to this display of boldness and audacity none of our party could tell, as he was not seen until within a few yards of the grouse in the very act of pouncing upon it. He probably had been watching our operations within a short distance, and possibly within sight, although he had escaped our observation.

In addition to the above-mentioned hawks, Hooddies, Jays, and Magpies, merit some attention, but especially the first of the three, they being more destructive to game than the whole tribe of hawks and ground vermin together, and combine cunning with extreme audacity. They are like the roysten crows in appearance. In the spring of the year they are constantly in quest of eggs and young birds, and if allowed to remain on the ground would destroy the best-stocked manor. They are easily caught in traps; but are sometimes so numerous as to defy complete removal in this way, although I have sometimes found that trapping a few of them frightens the remainder off the ground; but as it is only for a few days, a more potent and infallible remedy must therefore be resorted to, and that is poison. This of course must be used with care, and cautiously; but as two days will suffice to clear the ground, a person may be constantly in attendance during the operation, so as to prevent the possibility of accident.

A hare, rabbit, or any kind of game makes an excellent bait; if you cannot get game, a cat will do equally well. With either hare, rabbbit, or cat, separate the flesh from the skin, within a small distance of the backbone, leaving the body just sufficiently attached to the skin to keep it in its place; then slice the body in every direction