98 FALCONID.E. 



Young males are brown, like the female to be next de- 

 scribed, but begin to change from the brown colour to the 

 grey which distinguishes the sex, in their second autumn ; 

 young males are smaller in size, and have the irides lighter 

 in colour than those of females at the same age. It is 

 probable that young males are capable of breeding in their 

 second year, before they have acquired their grey plumage, 

 as two brown birds, apparently performing the duties of 

 parents, have been shot at the same nest. 



The female measures about twenty inches in length ; the 

 bill almost black ; the cere greenish yellow, the irides red- 

 dish brown ; the top of the head and back of the neck 

 umber brown ; the feathers of the latter with lighter reddish 

 brown edges, forming a collar on the neck ; over the eye a 

 light-coloured streak ; ear-coverts uniform umber brown ; 

 the circular disk or ruff round the face formed by short 

 feathers of mixed brown and white colours, passing from 

 behind the ear on one side round under the chin to the back 

 of the ear on the other side ; the back and wings uniform 

 umber brown ; the smaller wing-coverts margined with ferru- 

 ginous ; wing-primaries blackish brown ; upper surface of 

 the central tail-feathers uniform umber brown ; the lateral 

 tail-feathers dark brown, barred with lighter reddish brown ; 

 the ends of all the feathers pale ferruginous ; the throat, 

 breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, reddish bufF 

 colour, each feather having an elongated reddish brown patch 

 in the centre, with a still darker shaft ; those of the thighs 

 and the under tail-coverts being lighter in colour, and less 

 decidedly marked than those of the body ; under surface of 

 the middle tail-feathers strongly marked with broad bands of 

 brownish black and dull white ; the outer feathers on each 

 side greyish white, with four darker transverse bars ; the legs 

 and toes yellow ; the claws black. 



In reference to our Harriers, a notice appears in the Na- 

 turalist for September, page 314, that some difference had 



