FALCO.] AVES RAPTORES. 83 



DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts bluish black: under parts 

 whitish, passing into reddish yellow, with longitudinal brown streaks : 

 throat white : a black patch or moustache proceeding from the corners 

 of the mouth down each side of the neck : rump, thighs, and under tail- 

 coverts, rust-red : quills, and outer tail-feathers, barred with reddish brown 

 on their inner webs : bill bluish black : irides reddish brown : cere, eye- 

 lids, and feet, yellow. (Female.) Colours generally more obscure ; upper 

 parts approaching to dusky brown; the red on the rump and thighs not so 

 bright; the spots underneath deeper. (Young.) Plumage above dusky, 

 all the feathers edged with reddish yellow; this last colour most pre- 

 valent on the head : some white spots on the occiput : under parts yel- 

 lowish white, passing into reddish yellow, with long streaks of brown : 

 tip of the tail reddish : cere and feet greenish yellow. (Egg.) Yellowish 

 white, speckled all over with reddish brown : long. diam. one inch eight 

 lines ; trans, diam. one inch four lines. 



A summer visitant ; arriving in April, and departing in October. Preys 

 on larks, and other small birds. Builds in tall trees, and lays from three 

 to four eggs. 



8. F. JEsalon, Gmel. (Merlin.) Above bluish ash, 

 beneath reddish yellow, with longitudinal dark spots : no 

 moustache : wings reaching to two-thirds the length of the 

 tail. 



F. ^Esalon, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 27. Merlin, Mont. Orn. 

 Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. pp. 46 and 48. Selb. Illust. vol. i. 

 p. 51. pis. 18 and 18*. 



DIMENS. Entire length eleven to twelve inches : breadth two feet. 



DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts, including the tail, bluish ash, 

 with the shafts of the feathers black : throat white : under parts reddish 

 yellow, with dark brown, oblong-oval spots : quills with the inner webs 

 barred with white : a broad black bar near the extremity of the tail ; 

 the tip itself white : bill bluish : irides brown : cere, orbits, and feet, 

 yellow. (Female.) Crown of the head dusky brown, streaked with black ; 

 nape white, with reddish brown spots: back and scapulars grayish brown, 

 with reddish brown spots and black shafts : under parts yellowish white, 

 with spots larger and more numerous than in the male bird : tail brown, 

 with six or seven yellowish white bars. (Young.) Upper plumage brown, 

 the feathers edged with red : tail dusky, with several narrow bars of red- 

 dish brown ; the tip of this last colour : quills brownish black, spotted or 

 barred with reddish brown : under parts as in the female. (Egg.) Mot- 

 tled all over with two shades of dark red brown : long. diam. one inch 

 seven lines; trans, diam. one inch three lines. 



Supposed to be migratory in the South of England, which it visits 

 during the winter months. Breeds in the counties of Northumberland, 

 Cumberland, and Westmoreland, making its nest on the ground. Preys 

 on small birds. Obs. This is a very variable species. The male in adult 

 plumage is the Stone-Falcon of Latham, and other authors. 



9. F. rufipes, Bechst. (Red-legged Falcon ) General 

 plumage dark bluish gray, without spots : cere and feet 



F2 



