60 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
but we have not been able to obtain any precise particulars of its 
capture ourselves. 
Adult male.—Above dark slaty grey, inclining to black on the 
interscapulary region, the scapulars and inner secondaries edged 
with paler grey; primaries dark brown; tail dark brown with a 
slight greyish shade above, barred with fulvous underneath on the 
inner web and tipped with pale rufous; forehead inclining to buffy 
white ; fore part of cheeks as well as a short malar stripe and a line 
under the eye along the upper ear-coverts greyish black ; rest of the 
cheeks and sides of neck and throat white washed with rufous; 
remainder of under surface rich rusty red, the thighs and under tail- 
coverts unspotted, the breast and sides marked with central streaks 
of black ; under wing-coverts buff, streaked with black; cere, orbits 
and feet orange; bill dark horn-blue, yellow at base of lower man- 
dible. Total length, 11 inches; culmen, 0:8; wing, 8°5; tail, 5:0; 
tarsus, 1°2. (Sharpe, Cat. B. i, p. 400.) 
Fig. Schl..N. T. D. i, pl. 5. 
54, Fanco Rvricozuis. African Rufous-necked Falcon. 
The only specimen of this elegant little Hawk that has fallen under 
our notice was shot by Mr. A. V. Jackson, at Nel’s Poort, in the 
Beaufort division. Sir A. Smith procured it during the movements 
of the South African Expedition between the principal branches of 
the Orange River, and Mr. Ayres has met with it in the Transvaal, 
where he tells us it is not very common. It is not yet known from 
the Zambesi country, and, according to Mr. Andersson, it is rare in 
Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and in all other parts of South 
Africa which he traversed. 
General colour above and below light blueish-ash, much barred 
with brown-black ; tail tipt with white, and crossed near the end by 
a broad black band; head deep-rufous, with black eyebrows and 
moustache; chin white; throat and chest vinaceous; legs yellow; 
bill horn-coloured, yellow at base; iris dark brown. Length, 14’; 
wing, 92'’; tail, 7’’. 
Fig. Sw. B. W. Afr. pl. 2. 
55. CERCHNEIS TINNUNCULUS. Common Kestrel. 
Only one specimen of the European Kestrel is known as yet to 
have been shot in South Africa, and is recorded by Mr. Gurney in 
