KESTREL. 55 



cal Society have received specimens from tlie Cape of Good 

 Hope, which were sent by Captain Spiller. 



The range of the Kestrel in the East is also very ex- 

 tensive. Mr. Selby mentions having received specimens 

 from India, and I have seen others from the banks of the 

 Ganges. Colonel Sykes includes it among the birds of the 

 Dukhun. Figures of it occiu- in drawings from China ; it 

 is known to inhabit Japan ; and Dr. Horsfield includes it in 

 his catalogue of the birds of Java. 



The whole length of the Kestrel is from thirteen to fif- 

 teen inches, depending on the sex. The male, the upper 

 figure in the illustration, has the beak blue, pale towards the 

 base ; the cere and orbits or eyelids yellow, the iridcs dark 

 brown ; the top of the head, the cheeks, and nape of the 

 neck, ash grey, with dusky longitudinal streaks ; the back, 

 tertials, and wing-coverts, reddish fawn colour, with small black 

 triangular spots dispersed over them, one occupying the point 

 of each feather ; the primaries and secondaries blackish grey, 

 with lighter-coloured edges ; the tail-feathers ash grey, with 

 a broad black band near the end, each feather tipped with 

 white ; the breast and belly pale rufous fawn colour, with 

 dark longitudinal streaks on the former, and dark spots on 

 the latter ; the thighs and under tail-coverts rufous fawn 

 colour, without spots ; under surface of the tail-feathers grey- 

 ish white, with imperfect dark transverse bars, terminating 

 with the black band and white tips, as on the upper surface ; 

 the legs and toes yellow ; the claws black. 



In the female, the top of the head is reddish fawn colour, 

 striped darker longitudinally ; the whole of the back, wings, 

 upper tail-coverts, and tail, reddish brown, barred trans- 

 versely with bluish black ; wing-primaries darker than in the 

 male : the whole under surface of the body of a paler ferru- 

 ginous colour, but streaked on the breast and spotted lower 

 down, as in the male ; under surface of the tail-feathers more 



