Used in 
Falconry. 
General 
Descrip- 
tion. 
Female 
Bird. 
44 RAPACES. FALCO. Facons. 
consisted entirely of the fur and bones of mice ; and Monra- 
cu remarks, that he never found the feathers or remains of 
birds in the stomach of this hawk. He therefore concluded, 
that it is only when it finds a difficulty in procuring its fa- 
vourite food, that it attacks and preys on the feathered 
tribe. That it will do so, under some circumstances, is evi- 
dent, since bird-catchers have discovered the kestrel in the 
very act of pouncing their bird-calls; and I have myself 
caught it in a trap baited with a bird. 
In summer, the cockchafer supplies to this species an ob- 
ject of pursuit and food, and the following curious account is 
given from an eye-witness of the fact. “I had,” says he, 
“* the pleasure, this summer, of seeing the kestrel engaged in 
an occupation entirely new to me, hawking after cockcha- 
fers late in the evening. I watched him through a glass, 
and saw him dart through a swarm of the insects, seize one - 
** in each claw, and eat them whilst flying. He returned to 
“‘ the charge again and again. I ascertained it beyond a 
‘¢ doubt, as I afterwards shot him.” 
The kestrel is easily reclaimed, and was formerly trained 
to the pursuit of larks, snipes, and young partridges. 
66 
66 
(45 
It is a species, in point of geographical distribution, very 
widely spread, being found in all parts of Europe, and in 
America: 
Piate 17. A female bird, of the natural size. 
The whole of the upper parts of the plumage are of a red- 
dish-orange, marked with numerous arrow-shaped black 
spots and bars. ‘Vail having a broad black bar near the 
tip, which is white; the upper part reddish-orange, bar- 
red with black. Breast, belly, and thighs buff-orange, 
streaked and spotted with brownish black. Quills 
brownish-black, margined with white. 
The young male, for the first year, is very similar in 
plumage to the female bird. 
