CERCHNEIS AMUEENSIS. 121 



sent specimens to Mr. Gurney in 1867, having found it numerous in that province; subsequently he observed 

 numbers in the Transvaal, in December 1870, but did not meet with them in that district on any other occasion. 

 It was procured in the Cape Colony by Mr. Andersson, and there are specimens in the national collection from 

 Zambesi, presented by Dr. Livingstone and Dr. Kirk. It does not appear to have been yet observed in Egypt, 

 which leads to the inference that it passes into Africa by way of Arabia, probably entering the continent in 

 Abyssinia, and thence passing along the east coast to the south. It is at times numerous in Cachar, where it 

 arrives, according to Mr. Inglis, in October, and disappears after February ; during the former month, in 

 1875, he met with a flock of some hundreds of them hawking on a new tea-plantation. In Upper Pegu, 

 Capt. Feilden has procured it, or met with it, in January and February ; but it does not appear to wander down 

 the Malay peninsula ; for it has not yet been recorded from Tenasserim. About April it returns from its 

 migrations to China, Mr. Swinhoe recording its arrival in Chefoo in that month, and at the same time Pere 

 David says it makes its appearance in the plains of China and Mongolia. 



Habits. — This Red-legged Hobby has most of the habits of its near ally C. vespertina, resembling it in its 

 gregarious tendencies, its crepuscular manner of hawking, and its insectivorous diet, while it also has some- 

 what in common with the ordinary Kestrel of Europe, hovering like it over its prey, though not in the same 

 motionless manner peculiar to the "Windhover." During its migrations from Northern China to other 

 countries, it associates in large flocks to an extent unusual in the Falcon tribe. As mentioned above, Mr. Inglis 

 observed this habit in Cachar ; and in South Africa, Mr. Ayres " found a lot of these pretty Falcons hunting 

 with much assiduity ; they were crossing backwards and forwards over the driest end of the swamp with an 

 exceedingly rapid flight, and were taking insects on the wing." The favourite food of this bird appears to be 

 grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, &c, to the first of which it is most partial. Its love of insect diet leads it 

 to frequent open commons, plains, downs, dry marshes, and such like. It likewise feeds on white ants, which, 

 indeed, do not seem to come amiss to any Indian bird, from the long-winged Kite down to the fruit-eating Barbet. 

 The example I shot in Ceylon was frequenting the dried-up esplanade at Trincomalie ; it constantly hovered 

 near the ground, and then descended, proceeding, on alighting on the grass, to jump on the grasshoppers 

 which attracted it, seizing them in its talons and devouring them on the spot. Contrary to its usual habit, it 

 was very tame, the cause of which doubtless lay in its meagre frame ; for though its stomach was distended 

 with grasshoppers, it had but little flesh to boast of. The late Mr. Swinhoe is the only writer who speaks of 

 this species killing birds, which it appears to do in China ; and it is even trained at Chefoo to hawk small birds, 

 which, it must be remarked, is somewhat unusual for a Kestrel. 



Nidification. — The Amurian Kestrel breeds in China in the nests of Magpies, which build in tall trees of 

 avenues or gardens near dwelling-houses. Swinhoe found it laying in the nests of the two species which 

 inhabited the vicinity of Chefoo, viz. Pica media and Cyanopolius cyanus. The former builds a domed nest, 

 and the latter, the Blue Magpie, an open one; but both come in for the patronage of this little Kestrel. The 

 time of breeding is in May ; but no information is given concerning the eggs, as the nests were in inaccessible 

 trees, or, at any rate, such as baffled the attempts of the Chinese coolies to climb them. I am unable to dis- 

 cover any additional reference to these birds breeding beyond that contained in Swinhoe's notes from Chefoo 

 to which I have alluded, and which are contained in 'The Ibis/ 1874, p. 428. 



K 



