FALCON. 291 



crown of the head brownish orange, surrounded with a wreath of 

 pale lead-coloured grey, springing from the forehead ; in both sexes 

 three black marks on each side of the head, viz. under the eye, over 

 the ears, and a smaller one behind them, which, with one on the 

 nape, makes the number in all seven ; plumage on the upper parts 

 of the body orange brown, striated across Avith black ; wing coverts 

 blue-grey, transversely spotted with black; throat white ; beneath 

 tlie body pale, marked with black ; tail red brown, marked at the 

 end with a broad black bar, and the tip white ; legs yellow, claws 

 black. 



The female is a trifle bigger, and diifers as in our Kestril ; being- 

 striped across wdth many black bars, and spots on the wings ; the 

 tail, too, is nifous, with nine or ten bars of black ; but the two outer 

 feathers are white, or nearly so, barred with black as the rest. 



It is said that the male is like the female till the first change, 

 and after that the tail feathers are rufous, with only one bar of 

 black. 



This species inhabits Virginia, Carolina, and St. Domingo, 

 abides in the two foiiiier all the year; is common in Georgia, and 

 may be observed sitting on the tops of dead trees and stumps ; it 

 builds on trees in an elevated situation, and makes a nest in a hollow 

 of dry twigs, roots, and dry grass ; the eggs white, four in number, 

 with rufous spots; is frequently found rovmd ponds, and fond of 

 grasshoppers, mice, and small birds. 



In its nature observed to be more gentle than any other hawk, 

 and has much of the nature and actions of the Windhover. 



Mr. Abbot, from whom I learn the above particulars, mentioned 

 one, which was a young bird, differing in the crown only, having 

 a few streaks of brown in the middle, and on the breast a number 

 of small brown spots ; also the streaks on the neck and back thicker, 

 the ground a darker red brown. 



P p 2 



