54 PALCONIDiE. 
trees like the common species. At the Goto del Rey, on the 
26th of April, I took a nest with four eggs out of a hole in a 
wall which I could reach from the ground. In the Crimea, 
I remember, they nested in holes of river-banks. On the 
12th of May, near Marchena, we obtained sixty eggs out of 
an old tower, and might have taken as many more. Some of 
these eggs were hard sat on ; and the old birds were caught 
on the nest, to be released after examination. These eggs 
varied very much, some being almost colourless, others half 
white, half red, piebald in appearance. 
It is entirely an insectivorous bird. 
33. Cerchneis vespertina (Linn.). Western Red-footed 
Hobby. 
Favier confounded this insectivorous Falcon with the 
Hobby, calling it a variety ; he, however, gives a description 
which identifies it, and says "This variety is found near 
Tangier in April." It is certainly not common there, and 
is said only to appear when there are locusts, which they follow 
from the east. In 1871, on the 27th of April, I saw two 
near Tangier ; shortly afterwards some were obtained by 
Olcese ; and just at that time flights of locusts arrived. 
Curiously enough, in 1874, on the very same day in April I 
saw one close to Tangier, and the next morning saw quantities 
of locusts as we were crossing over to Gibraltar. 
On the Spanish side of the Straits I never saw one, though 
it is recorded as having occurred near Seville ; any way, it is 
a very rare bird so far west. 
The adult male is of a dark lead-grey colour; thighs, vent, and 
under tail-coverts chestnut, with reddish-orange legs and feet. 
The adult female has the head and the whole under-surface 
of the body rufous. The claws at all ages are nearly white. 
Length from 11*5 to 12 inches. 
34. Pandion haliaetus, Linn. The Osprey. 
Moorish. Bou haut (Father of fish) . Spanish. Aguilapescador. 
" This bird is not uncommon near Tangier, living among 
the rocks on the coast, where they nest in March, laying two 
or three eggs ; the young do not fly until July. The migrating 
