102 



FALCON ID.E. 



An adult male from the Volga, killed in April, measures 

 about twenty- two inches in length ; the wing from the an- 

 terior bend to the end of the longest quill (the third) about 

 seventeen inches ; the tail ten inches and a half. The beak 

 is black, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; the cere 

 and lips orange. Iris pale greyish-yellow, surrounded by a 

 black line. The head, throat and neck are of a dirty white, 

 each feather with a longitudinal streak of dark brown, which 

 is very narrow on the front feathers, but increases in breadth 

 further backwards, the appearance of the whole at a little dis- 

 tance being grey. Back and upper wing-coverts of a deep 

 hair-brown, with a slight purplish metallic gloss : the feathers 

 darker near the shaft and lighter at the edges, the greater 

 wing-coverts especially so. The quills and particularly the 

 primaries and tertials dark reddish-brown, almost black, the 

 last with purple reflexions. The tail above much the same 

 colour as the back, the inner webs being lighter, and barred 

 more or less distinctly with dark brown. The chest and breast 

 of a dull clove-brown, each feather with a dark median stripe, 

 which is bordered by a narrow line of dirty white ; belly, 

 flanks and under tail-coverts deep ferruginous, each feather 

 with a dark line along the shaft. The lower side of the wings 

 tinged with rufous. The tail beneath of a light brownish- 

 grey, mottled and barred with a darker shade. Legs and toes 

 yellow ; claws, black. The female is somewhat larger, and 

 of a darker and often redder colour. 



The young have the iris dark, but greatly resemble the 

 parents, except in wanting the grey head, and having their 

 plumage more mottled each feather being terminated by a 

 light-coloured patch, which in some examples is of a greyish- 

 white, in others ferruginous, and the bands of the tail are less 

 distinct. Mr. Gurney is of opinion that examples from South 

 Africa do not possess the grey head, and thereby much re- 

 semble the Australian and Eastern Milvus qffinis. It may 

 hence be inferred, perhaps, that South Africa is only visited 

 by young birds in their first plumage. 



