THE RED-FOOTED FALCON. 127 



building but less commonly in cliff or hole of tree. In southern 

 Europe often in high buildings in towns. Eggs.- — Usually 5, some- 

 times 4 only, or occasionally 6, smaller on average than those of 

 Common Kestrel and marked with light yellowish-red. Scarce 

 variety shows a few yellowish-red markings only on white ground. 

 100 eggs average 34.7 X 28.6. Max. : 37.5 X 31. Min. : 31.6 X 27.7 

 and 35.6 x 26 mm. Breeding-season. — Full clutches about 2nd 

 and 3rd week of May in S. Europe. Incubation. — By female in 

 most cases, but exceptionally male found on eggs. Period not 

 precisely known. Single brooded. 



Food. — Almost entirely insects, especially coleoptera, orthoptera, 

 and sometimes diptera. Lizards, scorpions and spiders have also 

 been definitely recorded and frogs and small birds (and probably 

 also small mammals) are said to be taken occasionally. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Very rare vagrant. Nine times 

 England— Yorks., Nov., 1867 ; April, 1892 ; Oct., 1909. Kent, 

 May, 1877. Scilly Isles, March, 1891. Isle of Wight, Nov., 1895 ; 

 April, 1903. Sussex, May, 1896, April, 1914. Once Scotland 

 (Aberdeen., Oct., 1897). Once Ireland (Dublin, Feb., 1891). 

 Chiefly adult males. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Mediterranean countries generally, stray- 

 ing into Savoy and Germany, breeding as far north as southern 

 Poland, east to Bokhara, in winter in tropical Africa. Replaced in 

 China, Himalaya and Turkestan by allied subspecies. 



FALCO VESPERTINUS 



251. Falco vespertinus vespertinus L. — THE RED-FOOTED 



FALCON. 



Falco vesperthstus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. xn, i, p. 129 (1766 — 



" Ingria," i.e. province of St. Petersburg). 



Falco vespertinus Linnaeus, Yarrell, 1, p. 69 ; Saunders, p. 353. 



Description. — Adidt male. Winter and summer. — Whole upper- 

 parts dark slate-grey, usually still darker, almost black, on upper 

 tail-coverts ; lores, ear -coverts and cheeks as upper-parts ; chin, 

 throat, breast, flanks, paler slate-grey, feathers with dark grey' 

 shafts -, centre of lower belly, vent, tibia and under tail -coverts 

 chestnut, under tail-coverts sometimes marked with dark slate- 

 grey ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark slate-grey ; tail black ; 

 wing-feathers grey with silvery -grey outer webs and black shafts ; 

 greater and median coverts rather paler grey than upper-parts ; 

 lesser coverts as upper -parts. This plumage is acquired by com- 

 plete moult from July to March. 



Adult female. Winter and summer. — Fore-head creamy -buff ; 

 whole crown and nape buffish-chestnut, feathers often with dark 

 shaft-streaks, feathers of nape with pale buff bases showing more 

 or less ; mantle and scapulars dark slate-grey barred blackish, 



