142 LORD LILFOUD ON BIRDS IN THE LILFORD AVIARIES. 
degree corroborated by the fact that I received three young birds 
from Mogador in October, 18G9, only just able to fly, and with a 
good deal of the nestling down still attached. 
As I have gone into lengthy detail regarding our visit to these 
rocks in the ‘Ibis’ of January, 1875, I will spare you a repetition 
of my notes, and merely say that from what I saw of this species 
on this occasion and subsequently on the south coast of Cyprus, as 
well as on a previous occasion in Central Spain, I am convinced 
that their diet consists principally of insects. It is somewhat 
remarkable that the crops of the birds obtained by us in the dark- 
coloured phase of plumage were crammed with the remains of 
small black beetles, whilst those of what I may call the Hobby- 
coloured specimens generally contained a variety of insect remains 
besides these beetles ; in only one instance out of seventeen 
specimens preserved did we discover any remains of a bird in one 
of these Falcons, this relic was the leg of some species of Saxicola. 
In captivity these Falcons become quite as tame as the Hobby, and 
may safely be trusted out “at hack ” as long as the weather is fair, 
but they are of no value from the falconer’s point of view. La 
Marmora named this species in honour of the Pisan Duchess 
Eleanora, who passed a decree for the special protection of certain 
Falcons in Sardinia, but although the lady is certainly entitled to 
all honour for this edict, I cannot but believe that she probably 
was fond of falconry, and wished to protect some species that was 
serviceable for that sport ; on this account I have given the Falcon 
the name of the distinguished naturalist who first described it 
scientifically, preserving the name of the sporting Duchess as a 
systematic distinction. 
I need not go into any details with regard to the Common 
Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, of which I have kept many, except 
perhaps to protest against the destruction of this most ornamental 
and useful species ; and the habits of the Lesser Kestrel, Falco 
cenchris, of which I have never kept but one, so closely resemble 
those of our own species that I could hardly tell you anything new 
concerning it. I may almost say the same of the Orange-legged 
Falcon, Falco vespertinus : the only specimen that I ever possessed 
alive of this species reached me in a very sickly condition from a 
London dealer, and only lived for a few weeks. I do not know 
why this species should over have been called “ Hobby,” as in all 
