52 



FALCONING. FALCO. 



has been killed in Ireland. It is said to be common in Russia, 

 Poland, Austria, Tyrol, Switzerland, and the districts on the 

 northern side of the Appenines. 



Red-legged or Red-footed Falcon. Orange-legged Hobby. 



Falco vespertinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 129. Falco rufipes, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 33. Falco vespertinus, Orange- 

 legged Falcon, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, iii. 313. 



14. FALCO ^ESALON. MERLIN FALCON. 



The wings when closed about an inch and a half shorter 

 than the tail, the inner webs of the first and second quills 

 abruptly cut out toward the end. Male with the upper parts 

 deep greyish-blue, each feather with a black central line, the 

 tail barred with black, the lower parts light reddish-yellow, 

 Avith oblong blackish-brown spots. Female with the upper 

 parts greyish-brown, the shaft-lines darker, the tail barred 

 with pale reddish, the lower parts yellowish-white, with large 

 longitudinal markings. Young with the upper parts brown, 

 spotted with pale red, the lower reddish-white, marked as in 

 the female. 



Male, 11, 26, 8^, T ^, l/ p 1 T , T T . Female, 12 J, 29. 



This, the smallest British species of the genus, is by no 

 means uncommon in many parts of Scotland, where it re- 

 mains all the year. It is also not unfrequent in the north of 

 England, but in the middle and southern districts of that 

 country occurs only in winter. It preys on small birds, such 

 as larks, chaffinches, sandpipers, snipes, and plovers. Its 

 nest, rudely constructed, is placed on the ground among 

 heath. The eggs, three or four, are very similar to those of 

 the kestrel, being broadly elliptical, about 1 T 7 ^ inch in length, 

 1 T ? ? in breadth, light red, or reddish-white, confusedly dotted, 

 spotted, or blotched with dull red. 



Stone Falcon. Rock Hawk. Sparrow Hawk. 



Falco Litho-falco and ^Esalon, Lath. Ind. Ornith. i. 47. 

 Falco ^Esalon, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 27 ; iii. 13. Falco 

 .^Esalon, Merlin Falcon, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, iii. 317. 



15. FALCO TINNUNCULUS. KESTREL. 



The wings when closed about two inches shorter than the 

 tail. Male with the head, hind-neck, rump, and tail, light 

 greyish-blue, the latter with a broad subterminal black bar ; 

 the back and wing-coverts pale red, with oblong or triangular 

 dark spots ; the lower parts light yellowish-red, with longi- 

 tudinal linear and guttiform spots. Female with all the upper 



