356 KESTREL. 



been obtained in Iceland; but on September 27th 1887 a female 

 was shot near Nantucket, Massachusetts, and examined in the flesh 

 by Mr. C. B. Cory. Its eggs have been found even as far north 

 as lat. 68° in Scandinavia, but there, and in Finland, it is not 

 plentiful near the limits of its range, while in Russia its occurrence 

 at Archangel is accidental. Throughout the rest of Europe, however, 

 it is common, migrating more or less from the northern districts in 

 winter, but residing during the entire year in the south. Nowhere 

 is it more abundant than in Spain, and swarms may be seen, 

 especially towards sunset, circling round the lofty church-towers of 

 C6rdova and Seville ; while above the great plains watered by the 

 Guadalquivir many hundreds are often visible at the same moment, 

 alternately hovering and dropping down on their prey, which there 

 consists principally of beetles. The Azores, ]\Iadeira, Canaries, and 

 Northern Africa to Abyssinia, are inhabited by a slightly smaller 

 and darker race ; while southward, the Kestrel ranges beyond the 

 Equator. In Asia it reaches from the Mediterranean to the con- 

 fines of Eastern Siberia, and down to the Himalayas and Burma 

 in summer ; while in winter it pervades the whole Indian Empire. 

 In America the representative species is F. sparverius, an example 

 of which is said, though on very incomplete evidence, to have been 

 shot in Yorkshire in May 1883. 



The Kestrel either makes use of the former nest of a Crow, 

 Magpie, Wood-Pigeon &c., or else deposits its eggs in cavities in 

 cliffs, chalk-pits, quarries, buildings and hollow trees, and excep- 

 tionally on the ground. These, often laid early in April in England, 

 and 4-6 in number, are usually brownish-red, but sometimes have a 

 mottled yellowish-white ground-colour : measurements i-6 by 1-25 in. 

 In northern countries the Kestrel preys chiefly on mice, birds being 

 seldom taken ; to the southward it feeds largely on beetles, grass- 

 hoppers and other insects. Its graceful flight, as well as its shrill 

 cry kee, kee, kee, are familiar. 



The adult male has the head, neck, lower back and tail bluish- 

 grey, the latter broadly banded subterminally with black and tipped 

 with white : back pale chestnut, with small black spots ; under parts 

 buff, streaked and spotted with black ; cere, legs and feet yellow. 

 Length 14 in.; wing 9-5 in. The female— which is not appreciably 

 larger— has the upper parts rufous, barred with black ; on the tail 

 several narrow bands of black, with a broad one near the tip. Very 

 old hens partially assume the male plumage, and have more or less 

 blue on the rump and tail. The young resemble the female, but 

 are somewhat lighter in colour. 



