I 
200 allen’s naturalist’s library. 
The nest is generally placed on a ledge of rock in a cliff, and 
is often very difficult to reach, but in certain districts it is to ) 
be found in a tree, and Professor Collett states that, according 1 
to his experience, the Gyr-Falcon almost invariably nests in 
the top of large fir-trees. Professor Newton well remarks : — 
The curious fact that the Gyr-Falcon, like so many other 
Accipitres^ adapts itself to circumstances, breeding in trees 
where rocks are wanting near places which abound with food 
for its offspring, as is the case in the district of Hanhi-jarwi- , 
maa, will not escape the student’s notice, and will furnish, I I 
think, another good warning against too hasty generalisations 
with regard to the habits of a bird or other animal. It was 
not until the fourth summer of Mr. Wolley’s residence in Lap- ' 
land that he became acquainted with this fact, and then, as 
his remarks show, he was justly sceptical concerning it at 
first.” (Ooth. Woll. p. 87). 
The nest ^ made of stout sticks, and is used for many years, 
where the birds are not disturbed. A rude lining of grass is ' 
sometimes present, as well as a few green willow-twigs. ' 
Eggs.— Four in number, the variations in tint being well 
described by Mr. Wolley in the “ Ootheca Wolleyana.” Those 
in the British Museum are mostly of a light reddish cast, 
dotted and stippled with reddish-brown of a darker tint. Some 
of the specimens show a ground-colour of reddish-white, with ' 
somewhat coarser rufous blotches and spots, but in certain I 
examples the colouring of the egg is almost entirely rufous, ' 
without any markings whatever. Axis, 2-2-2-35 inches’ 
diam., i '75-1 -9. ’ ^ 
THE KESTRELS. GENUS CERCHNEIS. 
Cerchneis, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 976. 
Type, C. tinmiticiilus (L.), 
1 he Kestrels are nearly cosmopolitan, and there is scarcely 
a country, excepting the Pacific Islands, where these small 
Hawks do not occur. 1 hey have the same short toes as the 
( ryr- Falcons, the outer and inner toes being about equal in 
length, but the wings are more pointed than in the last-named 
