550 Mr. J. H. Gurne/s Notes on 



Americana'' (pt. 2, p. 34) : — "A young male had nearly the 

 plumage of the female, differing only in the black bars on 

 the wings being more distinct, those on the tail narrower, 

 and in the upper tail-coverts being brownish red, without 

 spots." 



The subspecies T. cinnamominus is so very closely allied to 

 the typical T. sparverius, that there can, I think, be no doubt 

 that the stages of plumage in the former may be accepted as 

 illustrative of those of the latter ; and I may therefore here 

 mention a Kestrel which I believe to be a young male of 

 T, cinnamominus in its first plumage, and which is preserved 

 in the Norwich Museum. This specimen, shot at Potrero, 

 in Peru, on 5th December, entirely agrees with a Peruvian 

 female in the same collection, with the following exceptions, 

 viz. : — the rufous behind the ear-coverts and on each side of 

 nape is paler, inclining to yellowish white ; that of the sca- 

 pular and interscapular feathers is brighter, and also a little 

 paler, whilst the dark bars' across this portion of the plumage 

 are rather narrower, and, on the upper interscapulars not 

 quite so numerous ; there are no dark transverse bars on the 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail, except the subterminal bar 

 on the latter ; lastly, the brown shaft-marks on the breast and 

 flanks are rather narrower and a little lighter*. 



The males of T. sparverius, after losing their nestling- 

 plumage, assume a garb which appears to me to consist, not 

 of " the remains of their immature dress," as suggested by 

 Mr. Sharpe, but of a new and distinct livery, probably ac- 

 quired by an actual moult of the nestling-feathers. This 

 second plumage only differs in the following particulars from 

 that of the oldest males : — The feathers on the upper breast, 

 which in the latter are immaculate, have each a distinct dark 

 shaft-mark, these being replaced on the lower breast and 

 flanks by dark spots, which are both larger and more nume- 

 rous and also often more guttate in form than the corre- 



* Another young male in the Norwich Museum, obtained in Chile, also 

 retains the transverse hars of the female dress on the scapulars and inter- 

 scapulars in almost undiminished regularity, but otherwise has attained 

 the male plumage. 



