148 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



fail to attract the attention of even the most careless observer, and 

 the old English name of " Windhover," has been aptly given to the 

 bird. Its cry is a shrill and piercing " cri-cri-cri." 



In its habits the Kestrel is gregarious to a great extent, and in 

 Tunisia is usually to be found nesting in colonies. It may also con- 

 stantly be found nesting in the immediate vicinity of the Lesser 

 Kestrel, and of other birds, such as the common Eock-Dove, and the 

 Unspotted Starling. Cliffs and old buildings are usually selected as 

 breeding-sites, and the Roman ruins, of which there is no lack in 

 the Eegency, are much frequented by these Hawks for purposes of 

 nesting, trees being more rarelj' chosen. The number of eggs in a 

 clutch, is as a rule, four or five, and in shape these are rather round. 

 They are usually of a pale reddish-white, or cream-colour, dotted over 

 with dark rufous or reddish-brown spots and blotches, sometimes so 

 thickly, that the eggs appear of a uniform rufous colour. Both the 

 colour and marking, however, vary greatly. The average measure- 

 ments of a series of eggs in my collection are 40 X 32 mm. 



The nesting-season of both species of Kestrel extends throughout 

 the months of April and May. 



FALCO NAUMANNI Fleisch. 

 LESSER KESTREL. 



Falco naumanni, "Fleisch," m Fischer, Jahrg. 1818, teste Nainn. Vdg. 



Dcutsch. i, p. .318 (1822) ; Erlangcr, J./. 0. 1898, p. 471. 

 Cerchneis naumanni, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mjts. i, p. 4.35. 

 Falco tinnunculoides, Malherhe, Cat. Rais. d'Ois. Alg. p. G (1846). 

 Tinnunculus cenchris, Lochc, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 67 (1867). 

 Cerchneis cenchris, Kocnig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 153 ; /</. /. /. 0. 1892, 



p. 340. 

 Falco cenchris, Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 96. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Kasriu, Central Tunisia. 



Head and nape clear blue-grey ; back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts 

 bright cinnamon; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts bluish-grey; tail 

 bluish-grey, with black shafts, and a broad subterminal black band, tipped 

 with white ; quills dark brown, with some white barring on the inner webs ; 

 secondaries bluish-grey, partly tinged with cinnamon ; chin yellowish-white; 



