PALCO TINNUNCULUS 147 



and uaderparts generally pale rufous, streaked with longitudinal blackish- 

 brown stripes, and pear-shaped spots on the sides ; crissum and under tail- 

 coverts fulvous, unspotted ; thighs pale rufous, slightly spotted with 

 blackish. 



Iris dark brown ; bill bluish-horn at the tip, and greenish-yellow at the 

 base ; cere and bare skin round the eyes yellow ; feet bright yellow ; claws 

 black. 



Total length U inches, wing 10, culmen 0-70, tarsus 1-40. 



Adult female, winter, from South Tunisia. 



Above clear rufous, striped on crown and nape, and barred on the back, 

 upper wing-coverts and secondaries with blackish ; rump pale ash colour, 

 slightly striated with black ; tail rufous, barred with black, and with a broad 

 subterminal black band and buff tip ; quills dark brown, the inner webs 

 barred with rufous and white; ear-coverts greyish, moustachial stripe, 

 commencing in front of the eye, blackish ; chin buff; rest of underparts 

 rufescent-buff, striped on the breast, and spotted on the abdomen and flanks 

 with dark brown. 



Soft parts as in male ; measurements slightly larger. 



The Kestrel is very abundant in Tunisia, and as in many other 

 countries, is quite the commonest of all the birds of prey. Though 

 resident, the species is also migratory to a certain extent in the 

 Eegenc}^ its numbers being considerably augmented during the 

 periods of passage. In Algeria and Marocco the Kestrel is as plentiful 

 as it is in Tunisia, and it is also said to occur in Tripoli. 



In Central Tunisia I found this Hawk particularly numerous in 

 the neighbourhood of Kasrin, where the rocky ground and precipitous 

 cliffs bordering the Oued of that name are admirably adapted to the 

 nesting requirements of this, and other rock-haunting species of birds. 

 During our journey through that district. Kestrels were never out of 

 sight, and some of the birds would often accompany the caravan for 

 a considerable distance, occasionally perching on the telegraph wires 

 that lined the cross country roads. In these semi-desert regions 

 locusts and coleoptera form the principal food of this Hawk, the 

 small rodents, which abound on those plains, being also preyed upon 

 to a considerable extent. Small birds are less often captured, but 

 I have known Kestrels seize Quails, and on one occasion a friend of 

 mine, when riding across a plain, knocked over with the lash of his 

 whip, one of these Hawks, which had just pounced upon a Three-toed 

 Quail (T. sylvatica). 



The peculiarly graceful and hovering flight of this species cannot 



