2 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 
it is with us everywhere. Its most distinctive 
characteristics are the forked shape of its tail, and 
its familiarity with man, the latter leading it to 
have no sort of fear of flying near one, so near 
that its yellow beak and ever-restless eye, as it 
turns its head this way or that, can easily be seen, 
whilst its tail, moving in sympathy, sweeps it 
round to right or left. 
No. 2 is the Kestrel, or Windhover of England. 
As this hawk is not a devourer of carrion, but feeds 
on mice, lizards, beetles, and other living things, 
it does not usually come so near the habitations of 
men, and is rarely seen in the centre of cities, but 
on the outskirts of towns and up the country it is 
common enough. When seen hovering with its 
body hanging in mid-air, with its wings rapidly 
beating above its head as shown, there should be 
no difficulty in recognising it. Again, when flying 
low its rich brown-red plumage and sharp-pointed 
wings should be noted, and if seen dashing into 
some cleft of ruined masonry or rocky cliff-side it 
can often be identified by the incessant, penetrat- 
ing, squeaky call of the young in the nest, for by 
the time most visitors are in the country, i.e. March 
and April, it has its young nearly fully fledged. 
No, 8 is a Peregrine Falcon. In general shape 
