6" FALCOKID^. PELECANID^. 



176. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linnaeus. Resident oi* partially 

 migratory. 



Adult male. Head, neck, lower back, rump, and tail blue-grey, the 

 latter tipped with white on a broad black band ; back pale chestnut, 

 with small black spots. 



Female and young. Above entirely rufous, banded \^'ith black ; tail 

 rufous, with black bands and tipped with a broad black band. Old 

 females occasionally partially assume male plumage, being marked with 

 blue on rump and tail. Length 13-15 inches. 



S. Europe, 177. LESSEE. Kestkel. Falco cenchris, Naumann. Four occiir- 



wintering in ^.^,^ces : Yorkshire, 1867 ; Kent, 1877 ; co. Dublin and Scilly Is., 1891. 

 S.Africa. . 



Adult male. Much resembles Common Kestrel, but is smaller, and has 



the back uniform pale chestnut ivithout any sj)ots. 



Female. Much as female of last. 



Length 1 2| inches. Claws luhite. 



178. OsPREY. Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus). Spring to autumn. 

 Owing to preservation, a pair or two still breed in the Highlands, 

 arriving about 3rd of April. Never known to nest in Ireland. 



Adidt. Above brown : below white, except brown on breast. 



Youmj. Pale margins to feathers abo\'e : tail distinctl}^ barred. 



Cere blue. Legs and feet blue, very finely reticulated (or coAered 

 with minute scales) and prickly underneath : legs very short, about 

 2^ inches long ; outer toe reversible ; claws long, much curved, and very 

 sharp. Length 23 inches. 



Order S TE G A N PODE S. 



Family PELECANID^. .Feet entirely webbed or all 

 four toes connected by webs. 



179. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carlo (Linnaeus). Resident. 



Tail oi fourteen feathers. 



Adult. General colour above purplisli hlacl-. In spring slender white 

 plumes on head and neck and white patch on thighs. These white 

 marks are lost after breeding-season is over. Length 36 inches. 



Young. Brown above, whitish below. 



180. Shag, or Green Cormorant, Fludacrocorax graculii^ {lAnnddwn). 

 Resident on rocky, caverned coasts. 



Tail of twelve feathers. 



Adult. General colour shiny blackish green without any tvhite. In 

 early spring a crest curled forward.s on front of head. Length 27 inches. 

 Young. Brown above, whitish below. 



181. Gannet. Sida hassana (Linnaeus). Resident. 



Adult. Head and neck bufhsh white ; the rest white, except the black 

 ])rimaries and primary-coverts ; tail long and wedge-shaped. 



