132 



FALCON. 



It is a very common, and most pernicious species, and the dread 

 of the inhabitants of the farm-yard, making great havock among 

 the poultry of all kinds, as well as pigeons and partridges, espe- 

 cially the female, which being large, strong, and more daring, will 

 often pounce a chicken in the presence of any person, and this so 

 instantaneously, as to make it impossible to save the helpless 

 victim. 



It builds indiscriminately in hollow trees, large ruins, and high 

 rocks, very frequently in old crows nests ; and lays four or five 

 eggs, of a dusky or bluish white, blotched round the larger end 

 with rust-colour.* Has in fonner times been used in falconry ; but 

 I should conceive more for amusement than profit. It is a species, 

 we believe, very far spread ; found as high as Sondmor, and in the 

 FeiToe Islands; in the south of Russia, but not in Siberia; and 

 throughout the old continent, from the above places to the Cape 

 of Good Hope ; it migrates annualh', in respect to Gibraltar, t like 

 many other species, from Africa into Spain, where many stay 

 throughout the year. It probably is no stianger to China, as we 

 have observed a bird among some Chinese drawings so exactly like 

 it, as to appear a mere variety, not differing more than they do from 

 each other in this climate ; it is called there Mawing, as is the 

 Kestril . It is also mentioned by Azara as a bird of Paraguay. 



A — Accipiter macwlatus, Bris. i. 314. Id. 8vo. 90. 

 Falco nianibus aureis, rostro nifrricaiite, Klein. Av. p. 52. 

 Spotted Sparrow-Hawk, Gen. Syn. i. p. 100. 



This is brown above, with a few spots of white ; beneath much 

 the same, appearing as it were scaly ; beneath the wiuys and tail 

 broad bands of white, and nanow ones of brown, alternate ; the 

 tail, bill, cere, and irides, as in common. 



* Arct. Zool. : ' t White's MS. 



