32 FALCONID^. PELECANID^. 



176. KESTEEL. Falco tinnunculus, Linnaeus. Resident or partially 

 migratory. 



Adult male. Head, neck, lower back, rump, and tail blue-grey, the 

 latter tipped with white on a broad black band ; back pale chestnut, 

 with small black spots. 



Female and young. Above entirely rufous, banded with black ; tail 

 rufous, with black bands and tipped with a broad black band. Old 

 females occasionally partially assume male plumage, being marked with 

 blue on rump and tail. Length 13-15 inches. 



177. LESSER KESTEEL. Falco cenchris, Naumann. Four occur- 

 rences : Yorkshire, 1867; Kent, 1877; co. Dublin and Scilly Is., 1891. 



Adult male. Much resembles Common Kestrel, but is smaller, and has 

 the back uniform pale chestnut ivithout any spots. 

 Female. Much as female of last. 

 Length 1 2| inches. Claws ivhite. 



178. OSPEEY. Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus). Spring to autumn. 

 Owing to preservation, a pair or two still breed in the Highlands, t 

 arriving about 3rd of April. Never known to nest in Ireland. t, 



Adult. Above brown : below white, except brown on breast. 



Young. Pale margins to feathers above : tail distinctly barred. 



Cere blue. Legs and feet blue, very finely reticulated (or covered 

 with minute scales) and prickly underneath : legs very short, about 

 2^ inches long ; outer toe reversible ; claws long, much curved, and very 

 sharp. Length 23 inches. 



Order S TE G A N PODE S. 



Family PELECANIDJE. Feet entirely webbed or all 

 four toes connected by webs. 



179. COEMOEANT. Phalacrocoraoc carlo (Linnaeus). Resident . 



\JtJL V Tail of /(mrten feathers. 



v^ Adult. General colour above purplish black. In spring slender white 4 



plumes on head and neck and white patch on thighs. These white ^ 

 marks are lost after breeding-season is over. Length 36 inches. 

 Young. Brown above, whitish below. 



180. SHAG, or GEEEN COEMOEANT. Phalacrocoracc graculus (Linnaeus). 

 . * <\^ Resident on rocky, caverned coasts. 



Tail of twelve feathers. / 



Adult. General colour shiny blackish green without any ivhite. In 

 early spring a crest curled forwards on front of head. Length 27 inches. 

 Young. Brown above, whitish below. 



^i 181. GANNET. Sula bassana (Linnaeus). Resident. 



Ij^L -^ Adult. Head and neck buffi sh white ; the rest white, except the black 



primaries and primary -co verts ; tail long and wedge-shaped. 



