2 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 



it is with us everywhere. Its most distinctive 

 characteristics are the forked shape of its tail, and 

 its familiarity with man, the latter leading it to 

 have no sort of fear of flying near one, so near 

 that its yellow beak and ever-restless eye, as it 

 turns its head this way or that, can easily be seen, 

 whilst its tail, moving in sympathy, sweeps it 

 round to right or left. 



Xo. '2 is the Kestrel, or Windhover of England. 

 As this hawk is not a devourer of carrion, but feeds 

 on mice, lizards, beetles, and other living things, 

 it does not usually come so near the habitations of 

 men, and is rarely seen in the centre of cities, but 

 on the outskirts of towns and up the country it is 

 common enough. When seen hovering with its 

 body hanging in mid-air, with its wings rapidly 

 beating above its head as shown, there should be 

 no difficulty in recognising it. Again, when flying 

 low its rich brown-red plumage and sharp-pointed 

 wings should be noted, and if seen dashing into 

 some cleft of ruined masonry or rocky cliff-side it 

 can often be identified by the incessant, penetrat- 

 ing, squeaky call of the young in the nest, for by 

 the time most visitors are in the country, i.e. March 

 and April, it has its young nearly fully fledged. 



No. 3 is a Peregrine Falcon. In general shape 



