24 



F A L C O N. 



various authors ? I have alfo had my doubts about it, from ob- 

 ferving z Ringtail, which had the back changing to a blueifh lead- 

 colour; but what has ftrengthened me in the opinion of its be- 

 ing foj is an obfervation of a very learned naturalift *, to the fol- 

 lowing purport. " The Ringtail is extremely common in Rujia 

 " as well as Sibiria : in more temperate and open couHtries is 

 " certainly not to be diftinguifhed from the Henharrier : both are 

 " found as far as the Lake Baikal; and I have obferved, more 

 " than once, birds that were changing colours, and getting the 

 " white feathers. The truth is, that the firft year all are dark- 

 " coloured, very differently variegated ; but at the fecond change 

 " of feathers, chiefly the males grow whitifli ; and fuch are the au- 

 " gural birds of the Monguls and Calmucs." 



Here then feems the difficulty folved, and may perhaps ferve 

 to reconcile the contrarieties of opinion hitherto entertained on 

 this fubjeft. That Ringtails have turned out males, on dilTeftion, 

 has been clearly proved, certainly owing to fuch having been 

 young birds before their change of plumage : but I do not hear of 

 a fingle Henharrier having been met with of the oppofite fex ; till 

 that circumflance fliall happen, may we not fairly conclude, that 

 both the one and the other have at firfh the Ringtail plumage, and 

 that in a feries of years, more or lefs, the male gains the lead- 

 colour, approaching neareft to white in proportion to its age -, 

 and that, notwithftanding the females get paler by age alfo, yet 

 they are never without fome mixture of ferruginous ? It may in- 

 deed require fome time, though this matter may be afcertained by 

 taking the young birds from the neft, keeping them for a requi- 



* Dr. Pallas, in his manufcript catalogue of birds of X\itRu^an empire, fur- 

 nlflied to me by Mr- Pennant, 



fite 



