KESTREL. 65 



THE KESTREL is one of the most common species of the 

 British Falconidce, and from its peculiar habits, which place 

 it very often in view, it is also, as might be expected, one 

 of the best known. It is handsome in shape, attractive in 

 colour, and graceful in its motions in the air ; though from 

 its mode of searching for its food, and the shortness of its 

 wings compared with others of the small raptorial species 

 already figured, it departs from the characters of the true 

 Falcons. It is best known, and that too at any moderate 

 distance, by its habit of sustaining itself in the air in the 

 same place by means of a short but rapid motion of the 

 wings, while its powerful eyes search the surface beneath 

 for mice of different species, which form by far the most 

 considerable part of its food. It has acquired the name 

 of Windhover from this habit of remaining with outspread 

 tail suspended in the air, the head on these occasions al- 

 ways pointing to windward ; and it is also called Stonegall, 

 which Mr. Mudie suggests should be written Standgale, 

 from the same habit. 



Mice, as before stated, certainly form the principal part 

 of the food of this species ; and it appears to obtain them 

 by dropping suddenly upon them, and thus taking them by 

 surprise. Montagu says that he never found any feathers 

 in the stomach of the Kestrel ; but it is certain that it does 

 occasionally kill and devour small birds. The remains of 

 coleopterous insects, their larvae, and earth-worms have 

 been found in their stomachs; and Mr. Selby, on the 

 authority of an eye-witness, has recorded the following 

 fact : "I had the pleasure this summer of seeing the Kes- 

 trel engaged in an occupation entirely new to me, hawk- 

 ing after cockchafers late in the evening. I watched him 

 with a glass, and saw him dart through a swarm of the 

 insects, seize one in each claw, and eat them while flying. 



VOL. i. F 



