STRANGERS OF THE AUTUMN. 197 



gales either from the Canary Islands or the Spanish 

 Peninsula. It must also be remembered that a 

 flight up the English Channel is little more than 

 a morning stroll for a Vulture. The Jer Falcons 

 are thoroughly Arctic birds, and occasionally wander 

 southwards in the autumn. These are mostly birds 

 of the year, either roaming about in quest of suit- 

 able haunts, or tempted to follow the vast flocks 

 of Arctic birds that draw south at this season. 

 The Spotted Eagle occasionally visits us at this 

 season, from its haunts in the vast forests of 

 Germany. Our next noteworthy species, is the 

 Red-footed Falcon. This bird spends the summer 

 in the forests of Hungary, Russia, and South- 

 Eastern Siberia, and retires in winter to Africa. 

 Though it is said to pass through Germany on 

 migration^ it is more than probable that the 

 individuals which visit the British Islands, are 

 merely stragglers in the great stream of migrants 

 from the east. Careful attention should be paid 

 to any examples of this bird that may chance to 

 be captured in this country, as it is just possible 

 they may be the eastern form of the Red-footed 

 Falcon, which breeds in Eastern Asia, and winters 

 in India and South Africa. Another bird to be 

 looked for in autumn, is the Lesser Kestrel. 

 Although this species has only once been obtained 

 in this country, it is very probable that it has often 

 been overlooked, or confused with the Common 

 Kestrel. Like the preceding bird, this species 

 also appears to be drifted westwards in autumn. 



