42 FALCONID.E. 



catch male Skylarks ; but it is more common with them to 

 use the stuffed skin of a small Hawk or Owl, with its wings 

 extended, than a living bird. The mode of proceeding will 

 be described under the article on the Skylark. 



The Hobby, though a well-known bird, is not very nu- 

 merous as a species. It chooses a high tree to make its 

 nest on, occasionally taking to the remains of one of suitable 

 size that has been deserted. The female lays three or four 

 eggs, like those of all the true Falcons in shape and colour, 

 — that is, of a short oval form, speckled all over with reddish 

 brown on a dirty white ground ; — the length, one inch eight 

 lines ; the breadth, one inch four lines. 



The localities to be quoted for the Hobby, though ex- 

 tending over considerable geographical range, are not very 

 numerous. Dr. Moore has noticed it in Devonshire, and 

 finds that it breeds in Warleigh Woods. From Mr. 

 Thompson of Belfast, I have received the information that 

 this species occurred twice to the late Mr. Templeton, and 

 was said to have been found breeding anionff rocks on the 

 mountains of Wicklow and Londonderry. Mr. Doubleday 

 has obtained two specimens in the vicinity of Epping; and 

 Mr. Paget says it is not uncommon during summer in Nor- 

 folk. In the collection of Messrs. Hancock at Newcastle, 

 is a specimen killed in the county of Durham. Muller says 

 it inhabits Denmark and Norway ; and Pennant, in his 

 Arctic Zoology, says it visits Siberia. 



The Hobby is an inhabitant of the continent of Europe 

 generally, and is most probably spread over the northern 

 part of Africa : Dr. Andrew Smith considers it as an inha- 

 bitant also of South Africa in the vicinity of the Cape. 

 From the eastern part of Europe the Hobby is traced to 

 Astrachan and to India. Mr. Selby mentions having re- 



