KESTREL. 199 



In the summer of 1835, while preparing this little work 

 for the press, I examined the digestive organs of four 

 kestrels, two males and two females. The esophagus 

 of the first male was four inches and a half in length, 

 the intestine twenty-four. The length of those of the 

 second was the same. In one of these birds I could find 

 no coeca, but in the other I with much difficulty ob- 

 served a single very small rudimentary appendage, lit- 

 tle more than one-twelfth of an inch in length. Of the 

 two females, the oesophagus was also four and a half 

 inches long, the intestine of one twenty-two, of the 

 other twenty-five inches. In one I failed to discover 

 any ccecum ; in the other I found a rudimentary one 

 similar to that mentioned, and a slight knob not larger 

 than the head of a small pin. Having received the body 

 of another male in the end of July, I was astonished to 

 find two very distinct coeca, which were adherent to the 

 intestine, rather pointed, three-twelftlis of an inch in 

 length, and one-twelfth in diameter. Such a variation 

 as this I have not observed in any other species of 

 hawk. 



Habits. — The Kestrel, which is of more frequent 

 occurrence in most parts of Britain than any other spe- 

 cies of this family, excepting perhaps the sparrow- 

 hawk, resembles the latter in its mode of flight, al- 

 though it seems inferior to it in speed, or at least does 

 not glide along in its ordinary flight with ,so much ra- 

 pidity. But this may depend upon the diff*erence of 

 the kinds of prey selected by these two birds, the spar- 

 row-hawk usually pursuing small birds, which are ac- 

 tive and vigilant, and the kestrel generally seizing 



