88 FALCON. 



birown. We believe, liowever, that the greater part of this species 

 has tlie top of tlie head more or less inclined to yellow. 



This is freqnent in England, especially in the moors, marshy 

 places, and wet heaths ; makes the nest in a tuft of grass, fern, or 

 rushes ; composed of twigs and coarse grass ; sometimes in the fork 

 of a large tree; and lays four, rarely five, eggs of a plain white. 

 It feeds principally on young rabbits and wild ducks, and occa- 

 sionally on fish ; is seen skimming over the ground like the Ring- 

 tail, suddenly dropping on fi'ogs, lizards, &c. Colonel Montagu 

 once saw nine of these birds feeding together on the carcase of a 

 dead sheep. Is not uncommon in France, and there found to build 

 on the tops of trees; tiequent in the south of Russia^ but not met 

 with in Siberia ; contiimes the whole year in Sweden. 



I have seen a plain coloured specimen, among some drawings 

 fiom India, in which the crown of the head alone was yellow ; 

 another, ^vitli the chin and whole top of the head white ; in one the 

 whole crown, nape, chin, throat, and tip of the shoulder of the 

 wing, were yellow clay colour ; in another the top of the head and 

 chin white ; plumage deep fenuginous ; met A^dth at Cawnpore. 



A. — Falco rubiginosus, Ind. Orn. i. p. 27. It. Poseg. 29. Daiul. li. 167. Shaw\ 



Zool. ii. 170. 

 Rusty Falcon, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 36. 



The bill is black ; head wholly whitish yellow ; cheeks rusty ; 

 plumage on the upper part of the body brown ; beneath yellowish 

 white, with an irregular, nisty coloured spot on the breast ; quills 

 brown, Avith the outer edges hoary, the inner brown, crossed Avitll 

 several white bands ; tail brown, marked with four testaceous bands ; 

 legs yellow. 



Inhabits Sclavonia, and probably is no other than a variety 

 of the Moor Buzzard. 



