Expedition to the Eastei'n Canary Islands. 



259 



in male examples of T. t. catiariensis, while in the latter 

 species the spots almost appear as bars. In comparing 

 females of the two races we find that T. t. canariensis is 

 considerably more heavily barred on the entire upper parts 

 and has a generally darker appearance than T. t. dacotice. 

 In size T. t. dacotice is smaller^ as can be seen by the 

 appended wing-measurements : — 



2\ t. dacoti'cp. 



T. t. canariensis. 



T. t. dacoiice. 



T. t. canariensis 



6. 

 226 mm. 



J. 

 234 mm. 



228 mm. 



235 mm. 



223 „ 



223 ,. 



235 „ 



243 „ 



215 „ 



221 „ 



233 „ 



236 „ 



215 „ 

 218 „ 



224 „ 

 226 „ 



228 „ 

 223 „ 



237 „ 

 . 244 „ 



224 „ 



223 „ 



231 „ 



232 „ 



221 



222 „ 

 234 „ 



225 „ 





I had myself collected a large series in the eastern islands, 

 as I had suspected before leaving England that the form 

 found in the desert eastern group could be sepiarated from 

 that found in the western islands. That my supposition was 

 correct is proved by my finding on my return that Dr. Hartert 

 had already described and named this geographical race, 

 while engaged upon working through the Kestrels of the 

 Palaearctic region for his book. The characters assigned to 

 this subspecies are fully borne out by the series which I 

 procured. While in the eastern Canary Islands I paid 

 special attention to immature birds, and managed to secure 

 examples of this Kestrel in almost every plumage^ from the 

 nestling in down to the fully adult bird. It is impossible to 

 give a full description of the various phases of plumage 

 which the young bird passes through, but it is evident that 

 the down is cast last of all from the inner wing coverts and 

 from the crown of the head. Anyone desiring further 

 information on this point can examine the birds tliemselves, 

 of which a complete set are now to be found in the National 

 Collection. 



s3 



