this respect, as in many others, closely resembles the 

 Kestrels, especially the Lesser (Fr//co ccncliris). It is, 

 however, more crepuscular than the Common Kestrel, 

 and, in my experience, is not very often to be seen on 

 wing hunting for food till late in the afternoon ; and it 

 certainly frequently carries on its hunting long after the 

 sun has set. During the stay of these Falcons in Corfu 

 they seemed to spend the hot hours of the day perched in 

 small clusters on the tall cypresses and few poplars that 

 diversify the lovely scenery of the island ; as the day 

 waned these birds might be observed hovering and 

 circling in every direction at a moderate height over 

 the fields and olive-groves, showing a decided predi- 

 lection for the neighbourhood of streams or ponds of 

 freshwater. They had no fear whatever of human 

 beings, and frequently flew past or hovered within 

 half a gun-shot of us as we sat or stood perfectly 

 unconcealed. 



I believe that this Palcon takes its prey principally 

 on wing, but also not infrequently from the ground, 

 upon which it runs with remarkable ease and speed. 

 The stomach of a specimen killed in Corfu contained 

 portions of the remains of large moths, whilst the crop 

 of the only one that I cared to shoot for identification 

 in Cyprus was crammed with small dung-beetles. 



Of the breeding-habits of this Falcon I know nothing 

 from personal observation. For a most interesting 

 account of the habits of this bird in Southern Russia I 

 will refer my readers to a translation given at length by 

 my friend Mr. H. E. Dresser in his great work, tiie 

 ' Birds of Europe,' vol. 6. The Red-footed Falcon 



