FALCONS. 315 



Lord Lilford this species is never seen hovering in the manner of the kestrel, but in 

 summer time it sometimes soars to an immense height and ' lies upon its wings ' in 

 bright sunny weather for hours together. The following instance of its sagacity is 

 given in Dresser's " Birds of Europe," on the authority of Mr. C. E. Diezel : " In the 

 seegwald stood a large beech tree, on which was a very large old nest, which although 

 the old birds were regularly shot for eight years, either when the nest contained eggs 

 or when feeding their young, was still tenanted again. One year, when, as the birds 

 were so shy, they could not be approached within gunshot, the forester and a com- 

 panion took turns about to watch the nest, which then contained young, in order to 

 shoot the parent birds as they came with food. The old bii'ds never came within 

 shot, and still the young were not starved. After a time, however, the watchers dis- 

 covered that the old birds took food and, hovering far out of gunshot above the nest, 

 dropped it down into the latter, thus feeding the young without danger to themselves. 

 That this really was the case was proved by keeping a careful and continuous watch ; 

 and, moreover, food was found under the tree, which had, in falling, missed its mark." 



While we would much rather believe than disbelieve, yet there are some elements 

 of improbability about the preceding narrative, and we would suggest that unless the 

 birds were actually seen to feed the young in this way, it would seem less improbable 

 that a bird of well-known crepuscular habits should have chosen the night as a safe 

 time for conveying food to the nest. 



Another, but much less common bird, of this group is the beautiful Eleanora falcon, 

 Falco (Erytliropus) eleanorce, of the Mediterranean region. The adult in full 

 plumage is very deep blackish brown, sometimes sooty black, with black bill and 

 claws, and bright yellow orbits and feet. Its food, like that of the hobby, consists 

 lai'gely of insects, and it is described as eminently crepuscular in its habits. Certain 

 small islands off the soutli shore of Sardinia are favorite resorts of this rare spe- 

 cies, and on some of them hundreds of pairs breed in 'caves and fissures of the cliffs. 



Yet another and the largest species of this group is the femoral or plumbeous 

 falcon, F. femoralis, of South America and Mexico, of whose habits, however, little 

 seems to have been recorded. 



The common sparrow-hawk, Falco ( Tinnunculus) sparverius, of the United States, 

 is too well known to need description. Its nesting habits are singular, as it generally 

 lays its five or six eggs in a deserted woodpecker's hole, or even in a martin-box or 

 dove-cote. This may be taken as the type of a group of beautiful little falcons which 

 have often perhaps usually been separated from Falco under the sub-generic 

 name Tinnunculus^ including the European kestrel, T. alaudarius, and perhaps a half 

 dozen other species. In their relations to man they are probably the most harmless 

 falcons in existence, feeding mainly on mice and insects, though occasionally taking a 

 small bird ; and they are so graceful in their motions, so tidy and pretty in their 

 whole appearance, that it is to be regretted they are not more abundant every- 

 where. The kestrel is indeed the most abundant of all British birds of prey, and its 

 hovering form, as it poises in mid-air on the watch for its prey, is familiar to every 

 schoolboy in that country. 



Fifteen or twenty other names have been highly recommended for specific dis- 

 tinction, but it is impossible at present to say just how the honors should be divided. 

 It seems doubtful whether America has more than one species, sparverius, with its 

 various races. Africa claims at least three, of which one, alopex, is remarkable for its 

 uniform yellowish-red color, with longitudinal dark streaks and black wings. 



