96 THE SPECIES. 



as it flies down its prey. The ** mew " is a tremulous scream like the Kestrers. The female 

 is like the young male, and is brown where the adult male is grey, and her tail is barred with 

 brown and tipped with white ; she is larger than the adult male, whose plumage she 

 occasionally assumes. The nest is generally a hollow in the moor, lined with a few twigs 

 of ling, although the deserted nest of some other bird, in a tree, is used. There are four or 

 five eggs. 



The Red-footed Falcon — Dimensions, Jr ; Eggs, Js — is occasionally found here in the 

 summer, but its visits have been few and far between. 



The Lesser Kestrel — Dimensions, Ki ; Eggs, Jf — has put in two appearances in this 

 country during the last quarter of a century, and it was never heard of here before. 



The Hobby — Dimensions, Lg ; Eggs, Kq — ^when on the wing looks like a miniature 

 Peregrine, with its slender form and long, narrow, pointed wings, flying swiftly, swooping, 

 and hovenng, and then swooping again to catch the insects on which it feeds. The " mew " 

 is a *' pree, pree." The female is like the male, but larger. The young are buflish on the 

 head and thighs. The nest is generally the deserted one of a Crow or a Magpie, and is 

 always in high trees. There are three or four eggs. 



The Kestrel — Dimensions, Ls; Eggs, Kk — is our commonest Falcon, and can be recog- 

 nised by its hovering (whence its name of Windhover), head to windward and hanging 

 down, tail downwards and slightly spread, feet hidden, and wings quivering, the hover 

 changing into a swift, easy flight, with a few rapid flaps, a glide, and then another hover to 

 carefully examine the ground. One of the most interesting of experiences is that of standing on 

 a lofty, precipitous ■hill, and looking down on to a Kestrel as he hovers over the deep valley 

 below. The call is a screaming " keelie-keelie, kee, kee, kee," and a chatter. The male is 

 grey above, the female is brown ; his tail is tipped with white, while hers has a broad brown 

 tip. She is two inches longer than he is, and sometimes assumes his plumage. The eggs, 

 from four to six in number,_are generally laid in the deserted nest of a Crow or Pigeon ; but 

 occasionally a nest is specially made in a hole in a cliff, of a few twigs and heather, with a 

 lining of grass. 



The Peregrine — Dimensions, Nt ; Eggs, Oe — is the Blue Hawk, with the strong, rapid, 

 circling flight, who screams '* hek, kek, kek," and gracefully sweeps out of view. The 

 female is also blue, but is from three to four inches longer. The eggs, from two to four in 

 number, are either deposited in a deserted nest of a Crow or Heron, or else laid in a hollow 

 on a ledge. 



The Gyr Falcon — Dimensions, Po ; Eggs, Or — is the "gyr"-ating bird etj-mologically, 

 but not in any other sense. There is only one record of his having been seen in this country. 

 His flight is so swift as to make a noise in the air, and he is very seldom seen to glide. His 

 cry is a loud shrill " mew." 



The Greenland Falcon— Dimensions, Qe ; Eggs, Or— is a rare winter visitor here. 



The Iceland Falcon — Dimensions, Ok ; Eggs. Ot — is another occasional winter visitor 

 whom some ornithologists consider to be, like the Greenland Falcon, merely a Gyr in a 

 different state of plumage. 



Fratercula. Plate xxxii. ALCIDM, 



379. arctica, 12 in. Puffin. Head and back black ; collar black ; 



under parts white ; bill sheathed with orange ; 



legs orange. 

 The Puffin— Dimensions, Kd ; Eggs, Pn— has no colour on its bill in winter. It visits 

 our coasts in summer and breeds here. It has a whirring flight when" on the wing, and dives 

 and flies under water for long distances. When wounded its mates swarm around it and 

 push it with their bills to encourage it to fly or dive out of danger. Its call is "orr-a-orr." 

 The female is like the male but has a smaller bill. The egg, for there is only one, is laid in 

 a rabbit burrow or in a crevice in the rock, which is occasionally lined with a little grass 01 

 a few rootlets. 



Fringilla. Plate vii. FRINGILLINM (Passeridse). 



95. ccslebs, si in. Chaffinch. Forehead black ; head greyish ; 



back chestnut ; rump green ; wings black, white, 

 and yellow ; tail brown and white ; bill bluish. 



96. montifringilla , 6 in. Brambling. Forehead black ; head black spotted 



with brown ; back black ; rump w hite ; wing with 



a white spot ; white below, reddish on throat, and 



with black spots on the flank ; bill horn colour. 



The Chaffinch— Dimensions, Ct ; Eggs, Cc— is one of our commonest birds. Its flight is 



a rapid undulating one, with many pauses, and an abrupt sort of alighting, the male 



raising his head feathers when in safety. The note is a ringing " tol-de-rol, lol, chickweedo," 



or a ' lol, lol, lol, kiss me dear," with an occasional " wee, wee, wee." or a snore as of some 



