81 



ORANGE-LEGGED HOBJBY. 



Falco rufipes, BECHSTEIN. 



Falco vespertinus, GMELIN. LINX^US. LATHAM. 



Falco To cut with a bill or hook. Rufipes. Rufus Red. 



Pes A foot. 



THERE is not much at present to be said about tbe species 

 before us, and" it is so far well, in that it allows the greater 

 space to treat of other more common, and therefore better 

 known, British Birds. In a work of this kind, it is, for the 

 most part, room and not matter that is wanting; 'brevis 

 esse laboro,' and it is a matter of regret that I am obliged 

 to dp so, but a necessarily short article in the one case 

 leaves the more scope for a longer one in another. 



The Orange-legged Hobby, delighting in a mountainous 

 and at the same time wooded region, is common in some 

 parts of Europe, but rare in others. It is plentiful in Russia, 

 Silesia, Hungary, Poland, and Austria; less so in Italy, Swit- 

 zerland, and the Tyrol; uncommon in France, and unknown 

 in Holland. 



But very few examples of British specimens of this species 

 have as yet been obtained. In Yorkshire, a male has been 

 recorded by J. S. Foljambe, Esq., to have been obtained some 

 years since; another is said to have been shot at Rossington, 

 near Doncaster; a third was killed a few years ago near 

 Easingwold, and was sent to Mr. H. Chapman, of York, to 

 be preserved, with a message that if it was a cuckoo, he was 

 to stuff it for the person who shot it; but that if it was 

 not a cuckoo, he might, if he stuffed it, keep it for his pains. 

 A fourth was shot on the 6th. of May, 18 , at Stainor 

 Wood, near Selby. Three were obtained together in the 

 month of May, in the year 1830, at Horning, in the count \ 

 of Norfolk, an adult male, a voung male in immature plumage, 

 and an adult female. A fourth specimen, a female, was also 

 shot in Holkham Park, the seat of Mr. Coke, (Lord Leicester;) 

 VOL. i. o 



