front of a houfe, in one of the moft public ftreets is 
London. On the firft of February 1812, while palling along 
Piccadilly, perceived a Keftrel direding its courfe from 
behind St. James's church ; whilft we were obferving it, a 
flight of pigeons from a neighbouring houfe attra£led its notice, 
he immediately wheeled round and made a ftoop at one, which 
dexterouily eluded his grafp ; not deterred by this failure, he 
made a fecond pounce, in which he was more fucccfsful, and 
having truffed a bird, he took it ftill ftruggling to a pro- 
jedion from the church, where he leifurely devoured it, 
notwithftanding it was Ihot at, and attempted to be roufed by 
the fhouts of numerous paffengers, who were fpe£lators of 
this unufual circumftance, in one of the greatefl thoroughfares 
in the metropolis. 
A male which we kept alive for a confiderable time, was fed 
principally on birds and mice, it would alfo devour moft other 
kinds of fmall animals ; when it had more than fufficient for a 
meal, it ufed to hide the remains, and frequently kept them till 
quite putrid, in which (late they were preferred to fre/h food. 
The young males refemble the female till after the fecond 
moult. Its provincial names are Stannel, or Stannel-Hawk, 
Steingal, Stonegall, Kaftril or Kiftril, Windhover, and 
Windfanner. 
