HOBBY. 43 



ceivcd specimens from that country in every respect similar 

 to our own ; and a collection of birds exhibited at the Zoolo- 

 gical Society in 1831, which was formed by Major James 

 Franklin on the Ganges between Calcutta and Benares, also 

 contained sjDecimens of the Hobby. 



The food of this species appears to consist of small birds 

 and large coleopterous insects. My friend Mr. Henry Dou- 

 bleday sent me word that the stomachs of two specimens 

 examined by him were filled with the common dung-chaffer, 

 Geotrupes stercorarius. 



Specimens of the Hobby measure from twelve to fourteen 

 inches, depending on age or sex. The male bird from 

 which the figure was taken had the beak bluish horn colour, 

 darkest at the tip ; the cere greenish yellow, the irides dark 

 brown ; the top of the head, nape, back, and upper wing- 

 coverts, greyish black ; the edges of the feathers buffy white ; 

 the wing-primaries and secondaries nearly black, edged with 

 dull white : the two middle tail-feathers uniform greyish 

 black ; the others slightly barred with a lighter colour. 

 The tips also lighter ; the chin and side of the neck white ; 

 the cheek and moustache black ; the breast, belly, and thighs, 

 yellowish white, with longitudinal patches of brownish black ; 

 under tail-coverts dull white ; under surface of the tail-fea- 

 thers barred with dull white and greyish black ; the legs and 

 toes yellow ; the claws black. 



Old birds have the upper surface of the body inclining to 

 bluish grey ; in young birds the plumage is tinged with 

 rufous. 



