334 - Hijiory of ANIMALS. 
cover tbe under part of the wings are of a yellowifh-white, with fome brown, longi¬ 
tudinal lines. 
This fpecies is a native of Germany, Sweden, and fome other parts of Europe, and 
is fometimes feen with us but rarely, nor are we allured that it breeds here. This is 
the kind that was in principal favour, at the time when hawking was a favourite di¬ 
ver lion. All the authors on natural hiftory have mentioned it. Willughby calls it 
Falco gentilis, id eft, nobilis; and he alfo defcribes it in another Iplace, as if a different 
fpecies, under the name of Falco Montanus; and Ray, and moft of the writers lince 
his time, have ufed the fame name. It is a very bold and voracious bird, but is eafily 
made tame and tradable. 
Falco pedibus rojlroque Cceruleis , maculis albis nigrif- 
que longitudinalibus. %l)t fUUUl&t, 
The blue-legged Falco , with oblongs black and Jtiintl&lXt* 
white /pots . 
This is a very beautiful bird ; it’s lize is that of a common crow; it's colours are 
beautifully variegated, and it’s whole figure elegant, and yet formed in an uncommon 
manner for ftrength: the head is fmall; the beak is broad at the bafe, not very 
long, hooked, and extreamly fharp at the point, and of a deep blue colour : the eyes 
are large, and very bold and piercing : the noftrils are fmall and tranfverfe. 
The head and neck are pale, and elegantly variegated j the colours are black and 
white, but the white is in greatly the larger proportion j the variegations are not in 
form of fpots or tranfverfe lines, as is moft ufual, but in longitudinal ones: the back 
and the upper part of the wings are much darker than the head and neck 5 the colours 
are indeed the fame, but the black is predominant, and the white lines are faint, as 
well as few in number. 
When the wings are extended, their under part is feen variegated in a very uncom¬ 
mon manner with white fpots $ thefe are round, and refemble fo many fmall pieces of 
money ; they are fcattered irregularly over the furface ; the round figure of thefe, as 
the other marks on the body, are oblong, have a particularly odd appearance. 
The tail is moderately long, and the feathers are fpotted, and very elegantly arranged, 
and are obtufe at the ends. * 
The legs are fhort and blue; the claws are very fharp and black. 
The male of this fpecies is fmaller than the female, and is paler-coloured, and both 
of them immediately, after the moulting time, have a yellownefs diffufed over the 
other colours, which might deceive an unwary eye into the opinion of the fpecies be¬ 
ing different j but this tinge wears off after a few days. 
It is a very bold bird, when wild, but it is very eafily tamed, and is ufually kept in 
many parts of Europe for the diverfion of hawking. Though fmaller than fome of 
the others ufed to that purpofe, it will feize on any thing, the heron and cranes not 
excepted. 
It is a native of fome of the warmer parts of Europe, and is feen occafionally in 
many places where it is not fo j it breeds in France, and lives there the whole year % 
all the writers on thefe fubjeds have defcribed it. Gefner calls it Lanarius j Aldrovand, 
Lanarius Gallorum; Willughby, Lanarius cujus mas tertiarins. It is a perfectly diftind 
fpecies from the Italian one next to be defcribed, though too many of the writers on 
thefe fubjeds have confounded them together. 
