144 KESTREL. 



which was kept by that gentleman in the town of 

 Belfast, had its freedom, and flew every evening 

 to roost in an extensive plantation in the country, 

 about a mile distant, in flying to and from which 

 it was at first recognized by the sound of the bells 

 attached to its legs. This bird returned regularly 

 to its town domicile at an early hour in the 

 morning.* We should not have considered this 

 bird the favourite with the ancient falconer, 

 which it appears to have been boldness of 

 temper, and striking game in open chase, being 

 contrary to its habits in an unreclaimed state. 



In this species there is not so marked a difference 

 in the size of the sexes as in some of the birds we 

 have been describing. The male varies in length 

 from fourteen to fifteen inches, the female from 

 about fourteen and a half to fifteen and a half inches. 

 In the adult male, the forehead is yellowish, shading 

 into bluish grey on the crown, and which is con- 

 tinued upon the back and sides of the neck and 

 on the cheeks ; on the latter the tint is darker, 

 and from the corners of the gape assumes the 

 shape of the dark streak which is so conspicu- 

 ous in most of the real falcons. On the head and 

 back of neck each feather is narrowly streaked 

 on the centre with blackish grey, and a purplish 

 tint pervades the whole. The back, greater and 



* Mag. of Zool. and Dot. ii. p. 57. 



