FALCON. 23 



4- All the Henhartisrs are nearly of the fame fize, viz. abouc 

 twelve ounces in weight, and feven inches in length. All the 

 Ringtails likewife correfpond in fize, viz. about eighteen ounces 

 in weight, and twenty inches in length. Some fort of proof 

 of the difference in fex, the male in the Falcon genus being ever 

 the fmalleft. Added to which, Dr, Hey/ham obferves, that as 

 thefe birds are in plenty about him, he has opened many, and that 

 the Henharriers have ever proved to be males, and the Ringtails 

 turned out to be females. This very obfervation Kramer has 

 likewife made, having diflecled feveral of each j from which he 

 hefitates whether the two birds in queftion be not the fame, 

 againft the common opinion of the fportfmen of Auftria, who 

 think them to be different*. Dr. H.. adds, that the Duke of 

 Buccleugh's, game-keeper has deftroyed fome hundreds, and has 

 frequently fhot both ?«<«/^ and- /«»«/^ from the fame neft. Lord 

 Carlijle's game-keeper likewife avers the fame. 



In one of this laft gentleman's letters to me, in anfwer to what 



might be urged in behalf of the two birds being different in fpe- 



cies, he hints the great difficulty that there fometimes is in afcer- 



taining the fex, except in pairing time, when the difference is vi- n 



lible even to a fuperficial obferver. Pie likewife takes notice of 



their varying in colour at different ages, a matter not unfrequenr 



in feveral of the Falcon gtnvs. What then if this fhould be the 



fingle point which has occafioned the difference of opinion in 



/ 



* His words are, " Venatores unanimi confenfu diflincElas fpecies ftatuunt, 

 ♦' cumnullaillis accipitrini generis pra;ter tinnunculum fpeciesinnotefcat,cujus 

 " fcemina a mare colore diftinguitiir. Ego plures duodecimEe f & decim^ ter- 

 " tiae I fpeciei exaniinavi, fed 12 conllanter marem, 13 fcEminam reperivi." 

 Erenc. p, 331. 



■\ Henharrier. J Eiiigta'l. 



various 

 10 



