356 KESTREL. 
been obtained in Iceland; but on September 27th 1887 a female 
was shot near Nantucket, Massachusetts, and examined in the flesh 
by Mr. C. B. Cory. Its eggs have been found even as far north 
as lat. 68° in Scandinavia, but there, and in Finland, it is not 
plentiful near the limits of its range, while in Russia its occurrence 
at Archangel is accidental. Throughout the rest of Europe, however, 
it is common, migrating more or less from the northern districts in 
winter, but residing during the entire year in the south. Nowhere 
is it more abundant than in Spain, and swarms may be seen, 
especially towards sunset, circling round the lofty church-towers of 
Cérdova and Seville; while above the great plains watered by the 
Guadalquivir many hundreds are often visible at the same moment, 
alternately hovering and dropping down on their prey, which there 
consists principally of beetles. The Azores, Madeira, Canaries, and 
Northern Africa to Abyssinia, are inhabited by a slightly smaller 
and darker race ; while southward, the Kestrel ranges beyond the 
Equator. In Asia it reaches from the Mediterranean to the con- 
fines of Eastern Siberia, and down -to the Himalayas and Burma 
in summer; while in winter it pervades the whole Indian Empire. 
In America the representative species is / sfarverius, an example 
of which is said, though on very incomplete evidence, to have been 
shot in Yorkshire in May 1883. 
The Kestrel either makes use of the former nest of a Crow, 
Magpie, Wood-Pigeon &c., or else deposits its eggs in cavities in 
cliffs, chalk-pits, quarries, buildings and hollow trees, and excep- 
tionally on the ground. These, often laid early in April in England, 
and 4-6 in number, are usually brownish-red, but sometimes have a 
mottled yellowish-white ground-colour: measurements 1°6 by 1°25 in. 
In northern countries the Kestrel preys chiefly on mice, birds being 
seldom taken ; to the southward it feeds largely on beetles, grass- 
hoppers and other insects. Its graceful flight, as well as its shrill 
cry Ree, kee, ee, are familiar. 
The adult male has the head, neck, lower back and tail bluish- 
grey, the latter broadly banded subterminally with black and tipped 
with white ; back pale chestnut, with small black spots ; under parts 
buff, streaked and spotted with black; cere, legs and feet yellow. 
Length 14 in.; wing 9°5 in. The female—which is not appreciably 
larger—has the upper parts rufous, barred with black; on the tail 
several narrow bands of black, with a broad one near the tip. Very 
old hens partially assume the male plumage, and have more or less 
blue on the rump and tail. The young resemble the female, but 
are somewhat lighter in colour. 
