342 ACCIPITER PALUMBARIUS. 



with brownish-black ; the fecathers of the nape white, with only 

 the tips black. The alula, primary coverts, and primary quills 

 are hair-brown, with the shafts lighter along the middle ; the 

 primaries barred with dark brown, the intervals between the 

 bars being on the inner webs whitish, and variegated with 

 grey ; the secondaries greyish-blue externally, their inner webs 

 wdth broad alternate bands of whitish variegated with grey. 

 The tail brownish-grey, the middle feathers with four, the 

 lateral with seven broad bands of brownish-black, the terminal 

 band much larger, the tips white. The lower parts are greyish- 

 white •: the fore-neck and breast with longitudinal dusky lines, 

 the breast with transverse nndulatcd bars of blackish-grey, 

 of which there are four on the anterior feathers ; the tibial 

 feathers beautifully barred with a lighter tint ; the lower 

 tail-coverts white, the lower wing-coverts white, barred with 

 deep grey. 



Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 16| ; extent 

 of wings 43 ; wing from flexure 13 ; tail 11^; bill along the 

 ridge 1^; along the edge of lower mandible l^'^ ; tarsus 3; 

 first toe 1/?; its claw 1^% ; second toe lj%, its claw lj% ; 

 third toe 1^^§, its claw 1 ; fourth toe 1i%, its claw j§. 



Female. — The female resembles the male in colour, but has 

 the upper parts tinged with brown. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 23^ ; extent 

 of wings 45 ; wing from flexure 131 ; tail 12 ; bill along the 

 ridge lj\ ; tarsus 3j ; hind toe l^^^, its claw if ; middle toe 

 2 J. 2, its claw 1. 



Habits. — Of this beautiful species, considered with reference 

 to Britain, nothing is known beyond the fact of its having 

 rarely been met with in Scotland, and still more rarely in Eng- 

 land. It is said by several persons to be not very uncommon 

 in Shetland and Orkney ; but until specimens obtained there 

 are produced, I must take leave to suppose that the natives 

 of these islands have mistaken the Peregrine Falcon for 

 the Goshawk. In many districts the latter name is that 

 usually given to the Peregrine, and it does not appear that the 



