218 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



surface rufous-fawn, spotless about the vent and on the under tail- 

 coverts, streaked with black on the breast and spotted on the abdomen 

 and sides. 



Adult female. Forehead yellowish; whole upper plumage and coverts 

 deep rufous, striped closely on the head, barred elsewhere with black ; the 

 upper tail-coverts with a bluish tinge ; tail dull rufous tinged with blue, 

 barred narrowly with black, tipped broadly with pale rufous-white, and 

 with a broad black subterminal band ; chin and throat creamy white ; ear- 

 coverts mixed white and brown ; a moustache and feathers under the eye 

 dark brown ; uuderparts pale rufous-white, the tail-coverts spotless, the 

 breast striped, and the abdomen and sides spotted with dark brown ; under 

 wing-coverts spotted like the abdomen ; quills dark brown, notched on the 

 inner webs with spots, which are rufous interiorly and white towards the 

 outside. 



A nearly adult male is somewhat similar to the adult male; but the 

 head and hind neck are strongly tinged with rufous, the ashy colour being 

 less apparent ; the underparts are much duller rufous. 



Young males are like the female, but paler and more striped on the 

 breast. 



Legs orange-yellow ; claws black ; cere and eyelids yellow ; iris brown ; 

 bill pale yellow at gape, changing to bluish black towards the tip ; mouth 

 pale bluish fleshy. 



Length 14 inches, tail 7 '2, wing 9*5, tarsus 1'6, bill from gape *85. 

 The female is larger. 



The Kestril is a common winter visitor to Pegu, being especially 

 abundant in the vast plains of the south, where it arrives about the end of 

 October, departing again in March. Mr. Davison states that it is rare in 

 Tenasserim, and he observed it only in the northern portion of the Divi- 

 sion. My men, however, procured one specimen at Malewoon, in the 

 extreme south ; and as they did not collect very vigorously, the acquisi- 

 tion of one specimen proves it, I think, to be not uncommon in those 

 parts of Tenasserim. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay found it very abundant in 

 Karennce, and I should judge from his remarks that it may possibly breed 

 in that country. 



It has a wide range, being found, according to season, over the whole of 

 Asia and Europe and a considerable portion of Africa. 



The Kestril is found in Burmah chiefly in the grass-plains of the south ; 

 but I have also observed it flying about the numerous large ruined pagodas 

 which adorn most parts of the Province. It feeds almost entirely on mice ; 

 and its habit of hovering in the air at frequent intervals enables any one to 

 identify it at a glance. 



It makes its nest both on trees and on cliffs, and frequently deposits its 

 eggs in the old nests of Magpies and Crows. The eggs, usually six 



