344 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



and then just managed to clear the hedge, but dropped its 

 quarry, a warm but headless leveret. 



No real nest is made by the Kestrel. It lays on a ledge of 

 rock, in a scratched hollow, in a quarry or ruin, church tower, 

 or in the deserted nest of some other species. I have found it 

 in the nest of the Sparrow-Hawk in a tall fir, and in Wales in 

 the masses of sticks, lined with wool, recently evacuated by 

 young Carrions. I have also found the eggs in a neat hollow 

 in a thick cushion of thrift. When disturbed the sitting bird 

 will often slip away without a sound, but sometimes fly round 

 at a safe distance expostulating. Once when near the nest the 

 male bird flew beyond gunshot, but the female hovered above 

 me, and stooped repeatedly for at least ten minutes. When 

 about forty feet above me, she closed her tail, slid forward slightly 

 and dived with almost closed wings, shearing off with an angry 

 scream when about ten feet above my head. The eggs are 

 usually four to five in number, though six or more are some- 

 times found ; they are laid in April and May, in Wales and 

 Cheshire usually in the latter month. They vary, but are 

 generally thickly mottled or smeared with red or tawny brown 

 (Plate 158), frequently obscuring the yellowish ground colour. 

 Both birds take some share in incubating, and unless the first 

 eggs are destroyed only one lot is laid. The young at first are 

 clad in greyish down, and though they will squeal feebly if 

 handled, seldom show fight. 



The head, rump and tail of the male are slate ; the tail has 

 a broad black sub-terminal band and a white tip. The back 

 is pale chestnut or in some examples rufous, spotted with 

 black ; the under parts more buff, with black streaks and spots. 

 The bill is blue, the cere, orbits and legs yellow, the claws 

 black, and the irides dark brown. The female is rufous, paler 

 belo'.v, barred on the back and striated beneath ; her grey tail 

 has in addition to the sub-terminal band several dark bars. 

 The young, until a year old, are like the female, only browner. 



