BRITISH BIRDS. 129 



1275. Female : feathers above dull reddish-brown barred 

 with black ; below similar to male ; tail rufous, barred 

 with black and with a white tip and black sub-terminal 

 band. Length 14*25. Young : like female. 



Quite the commonest of the Accipitres with us. In 

 wooded districts the 5 or 6 eggs are laid in old nests of 

 the Crow, but in mountainous parts they are deposited on 

 the bare soil on rock-ledges or in crevices ; they are 

 yellowish-white, clouded and closely spotted all over with 

 rusty-red ; size i'6o by 1*30. Food consists largely of 

 mice with some insects, but I have known it to take 

 small birds in winter. 



183. Tinnunculus eenehris (Naum.). LESSER KESTREL. 



Hab. Southern Europe. In winter migrating as far as 

 South Africa. A straggler to North Europe. 



Three occurrences are known, i.e., one near York (1867), 

 one near Dover (1877), and one in Co. Dublin (1891). 



GENUS XCIX. PANDION, Savigny (1810). 



Bill stout and strong ; tooth nearly obsolete. Feathers 

 of crown forming a short crest. Wings very long and 

 narrow. Feet stout and strong ; tarsi short, reticulated ; 

 outer toe reversible ; claws large, sharp, much curved. 



184. Pandion haliaetus (Linn.). OSPREY. 



Hab. Palaearctic region. 



Male : crest whitish streaked with dark brown ; rest of 

 upper parts deep brown ; below whitish with an irregular 

 brown breast band ; bill blackish ; iris yellow ; cere and 

 feet bluish ; claws black. Length 2 1 -oo. Female : brown 

 gorget more pronounced and crest more streaked ; also 

 larger. Length 23*00. Young : feathers of upper parts 

 with pale margins and crest showing very little white. 



K 



