300 BRITISH BIRDS. 



off during preening was frequently swallowed ; perhaps 

 this was to accustom the digestive organs to the throwing- 

 up of pellets at a later date. By the time the bird 

 had reached the age of twenty-six days feathers had 

 appeared on all the tracts of the body, although still 

 plentifully mixed with down (see Fig. 1). This down 

 disappeared rapidly during the next week, and at the age 

 of thirty-three days remained only on the crown of the 



FIG. 2. KESTREL. THIRTY-THREE DAYS OLD. 



head, scapulars, rump, and at the bases of the flight- 

 feathers (see Fig. 2), although with the older bird (which 

 I had to have killed) it continued on the forehead and not 

 the crown. The down on the head was very obstinate, 

 and was not altogether gone until the forty-ninth day, 

 although that on the body was gone at the age of forty-one 

 days. 



Between the ages of thirty-three and forty-seven 

 days the bird grew very rapidly in size, the flight-feathers 



