The Hobby. BIRDS The Kestrel. 257 
THE HOBBY (Falco subbuteo) is a small British 
little Falcon is from thirteen to fifteen inches ; the colour 
species of falcon, closely resembling the Peregrine. 
of the plumage of the back is a bright reddish fawn in 
It usually measures from twelve to fourteen inches in 
the male, reddish-brown in the female, marked in the 
length; the plumage of the upper parts is greyish-black, 
former with small triangular black spots, and in the 
or bluish-grey ; the quill feathers of the wings are black, 
latter with transverse black bars. The lower surface 
and those of the tail greyish-black, indistinctly barred 
in both sexes is of a pale reddish fawn colour, with 
with a lighter tint. The lower part of the body is 
dark longitudinal streaks and spots ; the tail-feathers 
yellowish- white, with dark brown patches; the beak is 
are greyish, more or less distinctly barred, and exhibit- 
bluish, the cere greenish-yellow, the feet yellow, and 
ing a broad transverse black band near the tips, leaving 
the claws black. The Hobby has been met with in 
the tips themselves white; the beak is blue, the cere and 
many parts of this country, to which it is a summer 
feet are yellow, and the claws black. 
visitor, but is by no means an abundant British bird. 
The appearance of this pretty little Falcon must be 
It is found in all parts of the continent of Europe, 
familiar to most of us, as it is commonly sold in our 
and also occurs in Northern Africa, and probably in 
markets, and may be seen almost everywhere hovering 
most parts of Asia, as specimens have been obtained 
over the fields in search of its prey. When thus en- 
from Siberia, India, and even from China. It usually 
gaged, it may always be recognized by its movements. 
inhabits wooded districts, where it builds its nest in a 
After advancing for a short distance, it suddenly 
high tree. Its powers of flight are very great, its 
remains perfectly stationary, suspended in the air by 
wings being so long as to reach beyond the end of the 
very short but rapid motions of the wings ; and during 
tail when closed. In a state of nature its favourite 
this halt its sharp eye is carefully inspecting the ground 
prey appears to consist of skylarks, in pursuit of which 
beneath it in search of the small game which constitutes 
it manifests great perseverance, whilst the unfortunate 
its favourite food. Should there be nothing stirring 
lark exhibits wonderful dexterity in avoiding the fatal 
in one place, the bird moves on to another, and there 
stoop of its pursuer. The Hobby is also sometimes 
resumes his Inspection ; but should a mouse or any other 
trained to fly at larks, quails, and snipes. Besides 
small animal make its appearance, the Kestrel closes his 
small birds, it feeds upon small beetles; and Mr. 
wings, and dashes down upon it instantly. It is from this 
Henry Doubleday found the stomachs of two sped- 
habit that the bird has received the name of Wind- 
mens examined by him, filled with the common dung 
hover. His favourite food, for the capture of which 
beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius). 
the manoeuvres above described are indeed specially 
THE MEELIH [Falco wsalon), the smallest of the 
adapted, consists of field-mice and other small Mammalia, 
Falcons inhabiting Britain, is usually regarded as a 
amongst which he causes a gi'eat destruction, so that he 
winter visitor to this country, although several instances 
is certainly to be regarded a? s farmer’s friend, and ■ 
are on record of its remaining here through the summer 
should be encouraged rather than persecuted; but unfor- 
and breeding. It is, however, more abundant in the 
tunately this bird is very commonly confounded with tlie 
northern than in the southern parts of the British isles. 
Sparrow-hawk, and often suffers the punishment which 
On the continent of Europe it appears to be generally 
the latter may perhaps deserve for his depredations in 
distributed; it extends its range in Asia as far as Nepaul; 
the poultry yard. The Kestrel does not, however. 
and specimens have been obtained in the fur countries 
confine himself exclusively to quadruped game, but 
of North America. According to Dr. Andrew Smith, 
occasionally kills and devours small birds ; insects and 
it is also met with at the Cape of Good Hope. It 
earthworms also form a part of his diet. Mr. Selby 
measures only eleven or twelve inches in length ; the 
mentions, on the authority of an eye-witness, that a 
plumage of the back is of a fine bluish-grey colour ; 
Kestrel has been seen late in the evening hawking 
the wing primaries are quite black ; the lower parts are 
after cockchafers. His informant says — “I watched 
reddish, with brown patches and streaks. In the female 
him with a glass, and saw him dart through a swarm 
the back is liver-brown, and the lower parts brownish- 
of the insects, seize one in each claw, and eat them 
white. Notwithstanding his small size the Merlin is so 
while flying. He returned to the charge again and 
courageous and powerful that he has been known to 
again.” The nest is built among rocks, or on old 
strike and kill partridges at least twice his own weight; 
towers and other ruins, and in some places in trees. 
blackbirds and thrushes, and other small birds, are his 
Sometimes the Kestrel takes possession of the nest of a 
common prey ; and he was formerly trained to pursue 
crow or a magpie, and adapts them to its own purposes. 
these for the amusement of his ovraers. In the palmy 
The eggs are four or five in number, of a reddish- white 
days of falconry the Merlin was the Lady’s Hawk. 
colour, mottled or blotched with reddish-brown. 
Its nest, which is rude and scanty, is built upon the 
THE CREAM-BELLIED EAICON [Falco Berigora— 
ground in rocky places, or amongst heath ; the eggs 
Plate 2, fig. 5). — This species is generally distributed 
are four or five in number, and of a mottled reddish- 
over Van Diemen’s Land aud Australia, where it is 
brown colour. 
known to the colonists by the name of the Brown Hawk. 
THE KESTREL [Falco tinnunculus), called the Wind- 
It measures from fourteen to sixteen inches in length ; 
hover in some localities, is the most abundant of the 
its plumage is generally of a brown colour, but the 
British species of this family, occurring in all parts of 
throat and a large patch on the belly are pale buff. 
the country in considerable numbers. It is also gene- 
The bill and feet are of a light lead-blue colour, and 
rally distributed on the continent of Europe, and extends 
the claws black. This bird, which is more sluggish in 
in Asia as far as China, Japan and Java, and in Africa 
its habits than the majority of the true Falcons, is 
to the Cape of Good Hope. The length of this beautiful 
exceedingly abundant in the districts which it frequents. 
You I. 31 
