Food. 
Used in 
Hawking. 
Foreign 
Locality. 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
42 RAPACES. FALCO. Fa.cons. 
of constructing a nest, by taking possession of the deserted 
one of a magpie or crow. ‘The number of its eggs is com- 
monly four, of a bluish-white, with olive-green or yellowish- 
brown blotches. 
Its favourite game is the lark, but it preys upon all small 
birds. Partridges and quails also become frequent victims 
to its courage and rapacity, in which qualities, diminutive as 
it is, it yields to none of its tribe. 
Possessing a great length and power of wing, the flight of 
the hobby is wonderfully rapid, and can be supported with 
undiminished vigour for a considerable time. I have often 
admired the adroitness displayed by one of this species, in 
pursuit of a lark; the chase generally ending in the cap- 
ture of the quarry, in spite of all its aérial revolutions, and 
efforts to avoid the fatal blow. 
When hawking was keenly followed, the hobby was train- 
ed to the pursuit of young partridges, snipes, and larks. It 
is of elegant form, and resembles, in miniature, the Peregrine 
Falcon. The wings, when closed, reached beyond the end 
of the tail, in the specimens that have fallen under my inspec- 
tion, though Monracu mentions them as being shorter.—Ac- 
cording to TrmMINCK, it is common throughout Europe, 
during the summer months; but retires to warmer regions 
at the approach of winter. 
‘Prater 16. Shews an adult male, of the natural size. 
Bill bluish-black. Cere and eyelids yellow. Inides red- 
dish-brown. Upper parts greyish-black, the margins of 
the feathers being a shade paler. A black patch or 
streak proceeds from the corners of the inferior mandi- 
ble down each side of the neck. Chin and throat white. 
Breast and belly inclining to buff-orange, with dark brown 
streaks. Thighs and under tail-coverts buff-orange. 
Quills black, the inner webs of the feathers having 
orange-brown spots. ‘Tail greyish-black, the outer fea~ 
thers having yellowish-brown bars on their inner webs, 
Tarsi and toes yellow. Claws black. 
