FALCONID^ TINNUNCULUS 283 



tipped with white and with the subterminal bar of black about 

 twice as broad as the others ; feathers round the eye black ; throat 

 and cheeks white tinged with fulvous ; rest of the underparts rufous 

 becoming paler on the under tail-coverts ; soft parts as in the male 

 but less bright. 



Length 11-0; wiog 97. 



A young bird, a female, is dark brown above, the head streaked 

 with darker, the feathers of the back and wings edged and tipped 

 with very pale rufous or white ; forehead, many of the nape feathers, 

 cheeks and chin white, ring round the eye and moustachial streak 

 black, rest of the underparts white to pale rufous with broad 

 longitudinal streaks of blackish-brown ; tail dark brown transversely 

 banded with pale rufous to grey. 



In this stage it closely resembles a young Hobby {Falco subbuteo), 

 but can be distinguished by its long tarsus, considerably exceeding 

 the middle toe (without claw) in length, and by the colour of the 

 claws which are horny or almost white instead of black. 



Distribution. — The Western Eed-footed Falcon is found in north- 

 east and south-east Europe, and northern Asia, from Finland and 

 Turkey to Lake Baikal. During the northern winter it migrates 

 southwards to eastern and south-western Africa. Within our limits 

 it has only been found in Ovampoland, Damaraland, and Great 

 Namaqualand, where during the rainy season it is exceedingly 

 abundant according to Andersson. 



The recorded localities are Omatalo, January, and Otjimbinque, 

 January and February (Andersson in S. A. Mus.). 



Habits. — Andersson's account of this bird is as follows: "This 

 pretty Falcon usually arrives in Damaraland and Great Namaqua- 

 land about the rainy season and again retires northwards upon 

 the approach of the dry season. During these annual visits it is 

 exceedingly abundant and may be counted by hundreds and by 

 thousands ; nay their numbers at times exceed all belief. On one 

 particular occasion, a friend of mine and myself attempted to form 

 a rough approximation to the number of these birds actually within 

 sight, and of the black-and-yellow-billed Kites with which they 

 appeared to be mixed up in about equal proportions. Taking a 

 small section of the sky, we came to the conclusion, by counting 

 and estimating, that there were at least ten thousand individuals ; 

 and as the heavens above and all around us appeared to be darkened 

 by a living mass of Kites and Hawks, we set down the aggregate 

 number individually within our view at fifty thousand, feeling at 

 the same time that we were probably below the mark." 



