172 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



of this species have been shot here, so that, after several exchanges, 

 my collection can now show a pair to which it would be difficult 

 to find superior specimens. The male is very small, the head, upper 

 breast, and some portion of the breast below this, are white through- 

 out, without spots, and with only a scarcely perceptible tinge of 

 rusty-buff colour (rostgelblich). The shafts of the feathers of these 

 parts do not display the faintest trace of transverse stripes. At the 

 sides of the breast a few very small tear-shaped markings are 

 found; the feathers of the flanks have a bluish-grey tinge, with 

 faint indications of narrow blackish-grey bars. 



The specimen described was shot on the 7th of April 1875. 

 The chief time of migration of this bird is, for Heligoland, from 

 March until the middle of April, and again in October; young 

 birds make their appearance as early as the end of August ; these 

 are mostly of a very dark slaty-grey colour on their upper parts. 



The breeding range of this species extends from North Africa 

 to the North Cape, and within the same parallels of latitude 

 throughout Asia and America as well as in Greenland. 



6. The Hobby [BAUMFALKE]. 

 FALCO SUBBUTEO, Linn. 



Heligolandish : Boam-falk = Tree Falcon. 



Falco subbuteo. Naumann, i. 296. 



Hobby. Dresser, vi. 69. 



Faucon hobereau. Temminck, Manuel, i. 25, iii. 12. 



This elegant little Falcon makes its appearance on Heligoland 

 at the end of April and in the course of May, when the weather 

 begins to get warm; but only solitary examples are met with. 

 During the return (autumn) migration, lasting through September 

 or thereabouts, the appearance of old birds is still rarer. Young 

 summer birds 1 are rarer still from the middle to the end of August; 

 of these last not ten examples have been shot during all the time 

 I have been collecting. 



One of these birds was seen here on a calm warm summer 

 afternoon, engaged in the pursuit of common cabbage butterflies, 

 which it consumed very deftly during its flight, seizing them with 

 its talons, and then conveying them to its beak 



The shooters of Heligoland hold every Falcon in great respect, pro- 

 bably on account of a certain piratical kinship or sympathy. Hence 

 one of these gentlemen, who regarded such a proceeding on the 

 part of this Falcon as rather below its dignity, thought that it 

 could only be acting thus from mere wantonness or for amusement. 

 1 Anglice Birds of the year. TR. 



