FALCONID. py: 
silver-white, acquiring a yellow tinge in old birds ;* 
the entire head and throat whitish grey, hghtest on 
the forehead and chin, the shafts of the feathers 
black; in some specimens the head inclines more to 
rufous than grey (this is probably the case in young 
birds); the feathers of the head and neck are acu- 
minated, as well as those of the breast and tippet; 
the quill-feathers and larger coverts of the wings are 
blackish brown; all the rest of the upper plumage 
reddish brown, the central part of each feather 
dusky; the feathers of the breast and under parts 
are reddish orange, darkest upon the thighs; those 
of the breast are marked with a streak of fine 
black, bordered with white; the tail and upper 
coverts are of the same orange colour as the breast, 
with dark shafts; the outer feathers dusky along the 
edge and crossed with dusky lines; the tail-feathers 
beneath reddish white, with seven or eight indis- 
tinct bars of a dusky colour showing through from 
above; legs and toes yellow; claws black. The 
female has nearly the same coloured markings as 
the male.” 
The eg¢ of the Kite is something like that of the 
Buzzard, next to be described, except that the spots 
are darker and more distinct. 
* The irides of some I saw at the Zoological Gardens 
were white, very slightly tinged with pale yellow. 
