254 EEMES^ISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMA^. 



The Kesteel. 



The kestrel, or stonegall, stamel hawk, or the wind 

 hover, so called from its habit of hovering in the wind, 

 though it is one of the most common of our hawks, 

 is yet one of the most elegant, uniting in an emi- 

 nent degree lightness with strength in its structure. 

 The wings, when closed, do not reach to the end of the 

 tail by two inches. The body is ovate in shape, the 

 bill short and strong, having the tooth-like process and 

 medial festoon very distinct ; thus gaining in one, the 

 requisite characteristics of rank, what it loses in the 

 other. The male and female differ so considerably that . 

 a description of each is necessary. The female, accord- 

 ing to JNIontague, is considerably longer than the male, 

 his measurement being thirteen inches and a half, extent 

 of wing twenty-seven ; of the female, length fourteen 

 inches and a half, extent of wing thirty. 



The male kestrel is thus described by Bewick from 

 one he had in his possession. Length fourteen inches ; 

 breadth two feet three inches ; bill blue ; cere and eye- 

 lids yellow ; eyes black ; forehead dull yellow ; top of the 

 head, back part of the neck and sides, as far as the 

 points of the wings, lead colour, faintly streaked with 

 black ; back and coverts of the wings bright cinnamon 

 brown, spotted with black; quill feathers with dusky 

 edges ; inside of the wings white, beautifully sjDotted 

 with brown on the under coverts. The under part of 

 the body is pale rust colour, streaked and spotted with 

 black, and the tail feathers fine blue grey, with, black 

 shafts ; legs yellow ; claws black. The principal food 

 of the kestrel is said to consist of field mice, and, by 

 examining the contents of the stomach of such as have 



