KESTREL. 101 
with grey; primaries, brownish black, tinged with grey, 
margined with a paler shade, and the inner webs thickly 
marked with white or reddish white; the second is the 
longest, the third almost the same length, the fourth a 
little longer than the first, which is nearly an inch shorter 
than the second; underneath barred with darker and paler 
ash colour; secondaries, as the back on the inner side, namely, 
on the outer web, the inner being dusky with reddish white 
markings; and on the outer side as the primaries; greater 
and lesser under wing coverts, white, the latter beautifully 
spotted with brown. The tail, which consists of twelve long 
rounded feathers, the middle ones being an inch and a half 
longer than the outer ones, is ash grey, or bluish grey; the 
shafts, and a bar, which shews through near the end, of an 
inch in breadth, blackish brown, or purple black, the tip 
greyish white; upper tail coverts, ash grey, or hght bluish 
grey, as the tail. The legs, whch are feathered in front more 
than a third down, and covered all round with angular scales, 
and the toes, bright yellow or orange: the third and fourth 
are connected at the base by a very short web. Claws, black, 
tinged with grey at the base. 
The female differs but little in size from the male, at least 
in comparison with others of the Hawks. Length, from fourteen 
inches and a half to fifteen inches and a half; bill, cere, and 
iris, as in the male. Head, reddish, slightly shaded with 
bluish grey; neck, chin, throat, and breast, pale yellowish 
red streaked with dark brown—those on the sides forming 
transverse bands; back, dull rust-colour, barred with dark 
brown, each feather having four bands of brown and three of 
red, and tipped with the latter, the shafts dark brown. The 
wings expand to the width of two feet four inches, or even 
to two feet and a half; the spots are less distinct than in 
the male. Greater and lesser wing coverts, darker than in 
the male; primaries, brown, with transverse spots of pale red; 
secondaries, marked as the back. Greater and lesser under 
wing coverts, reddish white or yellowish white, with oblong 
brown spots. The tail and upper tail coverts, as the head, 
and the former barred with about ten narrow bars of blackish 
brown, the end one nearly an inch in breadth, the tip reddish 
white. The under surface is more uniform in colour, and Jess 
distinctly barred than in the male. Under tail coverts, un- 
spotted, as in the male. The feathers on the legs streaked 
with small dark markings. 
