HEWITSON's "BRITISH OOLOGY." 77 



ground colour much clearer, and the markings more confined, and in 

 distinct dashes. 



Two eggs of the Kestrel Falcon ( F. tinnunculus) occupy the 

 next plate. Fig. 1. minutely dotted with reddish brown, on a pale 

 ground, with a few larger scattered spots of a darker colour. Fig. 

 2. is more confusedly tinted, and, according to the author, " very 

 much resembles the eggs of the Hobby which I have seen, and also 

 some of those of the Merlin. Fig. 1. is the most common." We 

 consider intermediate specimens to be most abundant. Of this spe- 

 cies. Sir W. Jardine relates that " it is remarkable that perhaps 

 more Kestrels build and bring to maturity their young in London, 

 than in any space of the same dimensions : the breeding places 

 selected are the belfries of the different churches, where neither the 

 bustle beneath, nor the jingle of the bells, seems to have any effect 

 upon them."* It is not at all uncommon to see them upon St. 

 Paul's, and on Westminster Abbey, where sometimes may be dis- 

 tinguished even the Peregrine, as, we think, Mr. Audubon observes, 

 a species which is never seen in the suburbs, a very few minutes 

 flight sufficing to transport it a distance of many leagues. 



The next plate exhibits two almost spherical eggs of the Common 

 Buzzard ( Buteo vulgaris) ; one spotless white, the other very dis- 

 tinctly marked, principally at the larger end, with dark brown 

 spots, of various sizes. Some very interesting information is 

 annexed. " The eggs, which are three or four in number, vary 

 much, according to the age of the bird, being sometimes entirely 

 spotless. The beautifully marked one here figured is from the col- 

 lection of Mr. R. R. Wingatt, who had the eggs brought him from 

 the same place for some years, and, no doubt, the produce of the 

 same bird. The first year they were white, or nearly so ; the se- 

 cond, slightly marked with a dirty, indistinct, yellowish brown, in- 

 creasing each year in intensity, till they assumed the beautiful co- 

 louring of the plate. The spots are mostly larger and lighter, and 

 the surface of the egg is smeared, here and there, with indistinct 

 colouring. 



We have next a couple of figures, both spotless, of the eggs of 

 the Rufous Harrier (Circus rufus) and Montagu Harrier, (C. 

 Montaguij ; the former white, the latter, of course, smaller, with 

 a bluish tinge. The author states, however, that the eggs of the 

 Rufous Harrier, " although for the most part white, are sometimes 

 also spotted and smeared with brown, in the same manner as those 



* Note to his edition of Wilson, vol. ii., p. 34. 



