A TAME KESTREL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—You were kind enough two years ago to take an interest in my little tame kestrel, and I venture to hope you may now like to hear more about him. Having to leave our house in Shropshire, we took the bird by train to Staffordshire, where he apparently lost his way, as he disappeared for a fortnight. By means of advertisements in all the local papers, we found him near Crewe, where a kind platelayer had seen and secured him while stunned by flying against telegraph-wires. This year we have had occasion to move into Oxfordshire, and after a few days released 'Jacky' from his cage. He seems to be afraid of again losing himself, as though he constantly takes a long and rapid flight across the park, he immediately returns to sit on a garden-bench by the side of any friend of his who may be there, or to search for an open door or window by which he may rejoin us. He cannot bear being shut out, and pecks hard at a window until he is let in. If possible, he sleeps in the house, and allows us to lift and carry him about to a more suitable perch than the head of one's bed, or the side-table in the dining-room, with- out opening his eyes, or doing more than remonstrate in a subdued and sleepy voice. Like my free but perfectly tame rook and carrion-crow, he cannot resist talking; whether by day or night, all three invariably reply when talked to or called. 'Jacky' has a low twittering note of pleasure, quite different from that of the ordinary kestrel. He keenly enjoys sitting on a sunny window-seat, and letting us stroke him and smooth his feathers. Never does he give us the powerful stroke of the claw with which he kills a mouse, his only large game, in an instant. Oddly enough, he again, like the rook and crow, prefers boiled macaroni to any other form of food, and will carefully remove the raw meat or mouse on his plate in order to reach the macaroni beneath. Bread-and- butter he eats as readily. In fact, I think, most birds and beasts love a change of food.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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