204 



THE YOUNG 



crawls out of its skin, which it leaves turned 

 inside out. The new coat looks very bright 

 and pretty, and the snake soon recovers his 

 appetite and activity. 



The snakes are very fond of the sun, and 

 lie coiled upon each other, basking in its rays, 

 in one complicated mass. 



[I can confirm much of the above, having 

 kept one of these pretty animals in confine- 

 ment during one summer. I kept it in a small 

 garden, enclosed with brick walls, and it soon 

 became so tame that it would take food from 

 my hand. It could climb up the wall for a 

 considerable distance, and as the sun declined 

 in an afternoon, it would go higher and higher 

 up the wall to catch the rays as long as 

 possible. It escaped at last, and was killed 

 a considerable distance from my house. — John 

 E. Robson.] 



KESTREL. 



(FALCO TINNUNCULUS, L.J 

 By J. H, Flower. 



Order Accipitris, family Falcon idee, sub-order 

 Falcones, sub-family Fa lean ince. Also called 

 Windhover, Stone Gall and Stand Gale, from 

 its habit of hovering in the air. 



This bird is one of the most numerous of 

 our rapacious species, and is extensively 

 spread over Europe, Asia, and Africa. It 

 inhabits the plains and woods, and also the 

 mountainous districts, and lofty crags and 

 rocks ; and though loving to lead a life of 

 solitude, is yet, perhaps, the most familiar 

 hawk we have, as it breeds in the hearts of 

 cities. The Kestrel' is specially noted for its 

 peculiar mode of flight, sometimes gliding 

 along in a most graceful manner, at a 

 considerable height in the air, and then 

 suddenly becomes so stationary, that it is 

 almost unperceivable, and whilst in this 

 position, keenly observes the ground beneath. 

 Its powers of perception are extremely strong, 

 for when flying, should the minutest object 

 move below, it detects it, and as quick as 



thought its expanded wings and tail are 

 instantly closed, and down it pounces upon 

 its victim with unerring aim, and flies away 

 with it, to devour it at its usual abode. This 

 bird resorts to the loftiest crags avd rocks, 

 for the purpose of nidification, and generally 

 constructs its nest with sticks and twigs 

 loosely put together, and lines it with wool 

 or hay, or sometimes it will seize the nest of a 

 " Crow " or " Magpie " for its own. The 

 eggs of the Kestrel vary from four to six in 

 number, and are usually of a reddish brown, 

 blotched with larger spots of a darker colour. 



Its prey consists chiefly of field mice and 

 small birds, and it will seize cock-chafers 

 and eat them whilst on the wing. The 

 plumage of the male Kestrel is very elegant ; 

 the beak is of a bluish colour ; top of head 

 greyish, back and wings of a reddish brown; 

 tail grey inclining to bluish with a black band 

 towards the extremity, and terminated with 

 white; the under parts are of a whitish 

 colour, speckled with brownish spots ; feet 

 orange yellow ; iris, dark brown almost 

 black. The female is not much unlike the 

 male, but has about ten blackish bands 

 towards the edge of the tail, where the male 

 has only one, and is also larger in size than 

 the male, which is the case with most of 

 the rapacious species. 



Leek, April 13th. 

 [We are pleased to publish this, which is the 



unaided production of a youth of sixteen. 



May our pages be the medium of intoducing 



many "Young Naturalists" to the public] 



THE CHESHIRE 

 SANDHILLS. 



By John W. Ellis. 



Tempted by the extremely useful and in- 

 teresting notes on Sherwood Forest by Mr. 

 Mosley, I have penned a few remarks on the 

 Cheshire Sandhills, hoping they may prove 

 useful to an entomological stranger visiting 

 the neighbourhood of Liverpool. 



