100 KESTREL. 



of young ones. Last year they did the same; but some 

 mischievous boys took the young ones when just ready to 

 fly. Though in every respect a wild bird as to his habits 

 in the fields, he comes every day to the nursery window, and 

 when it is opened, will come into the room and perch upon 

 the chairs or table, and sometimes upon the heads of the little 

 ones, who always save a piece of meat for him. His mate 

 will sometimes venture to come within a yard or two of the 

 house, to watch for him when he comes out of the room with 

 his meat: she will then give chase, and try to make him 

 drop it, both of them squealing and chattering to our great 

 amusement. The male never leaves us; indeed he is so 

 attached to the children, that if we leave , home for a time 

 he is seldom seen; but as soon as we return, and he hears 

 the voices of his little friends calling him by name, he comes 

 flying over the fields, squealing with joy to see them again. 

 He is now so well known amongst the feathered tribes of the 

 neighbourhood, that they take no notice of him, but will sit 

 upon the same tree with him: even the Rooks appear quite 

 friendly.' 



Male; weight, about six ounces and a half; length, thirteen 

 inches and a half, to even fifteen inches; bill, pale blue, or 

 bluish grey, the tip black, and the base close to the cere 

 tinged with yellow; cere, pale orange, or yellow; iris, dark 

 brown, approaching to black; the eyelids are furnished with 

 short bristles; forehead, yellowish; head on the crown, ash 

 grey, each feather being streaked in the centre with a dusky 

 line; on the sides, the same colour tinged with yellow: there 

 is a blackish grey mark near the angle of the mouth pointing 

 downwards, and a line of the same along the inner and upper 

 edge of the eye; neck and nape behind and on the sides, 

 lead-colour, faintly streaked with black, with a purplish tinge, 

 as is the case with the other black feathers ; chin and throat, 

 yellowish white, without spots; breast, pale yellowish red, 

 each feather streaked with dark brown, and a spot near the 

 end of the same; back, bright cinnamon red, the shafts of 

 each feather being blackish grey, with a spot of the same 

 colour near the end. 



The wings, which are rather long and broad, but narrow 

 towards the ends, expand to the width of two feet three 

 inches, and reach to within about an inch and a half from 

 the tip of the tail: when closed they reach to within about 

 two inches of it; greater wing coverts, brownish black, tinged 



