"The Hijlory ^ANIMALS, 3 53 
The tail is moderately long, and is compofed of twelve feathers5 the exterior of 
thefe are the fhorteft, and the others grow gradually longer to the middle: the two 
middle ones are almoft entirely black, and the next to thefe have fome whitenefs to¬ 
ward the bafe, efpecially at the interior edge 3 four of the others on each tide are 
white at their extremities, and even half way up, and the interior pinnules of the far¬ 
ther ones are alfo entirely white. 
The legs are moderately long, but very tlerider 5 they are of a deep greyifh-blue, 
approaching to black : the toes are long, and the outer one of each foot is connected 
a little way to the middle one by a membrane: the claws are not very thick, but they 
are long, in proportion to the fize of the bird, and are very Iharp. 
The gall-bladder in the bird is particularly large 3 the inteftines are fhort; the tefti- 
cles in the male are large, round, and white. 
This fpecies is not uncommon with us in England, though it’s fmallnefs makes us 
feldom diftinguifh it as of the hawk-kind. It frequents woods, and is fometimes feen 
among the fingle thickets on heaths: it builds in the crab, the white-thorn, or the 
holly, at about fix or eight feet from the ground : it builds it’s neft with grafs, mofs, 
the ftalks of tender plants, and feathers. It lays fix eggs • they are of an oblong fhape, 
and are large, in proportion to the fize of the bird 5 they are white toward the 
fmaller end, but toward the larger they have a kind of circle or crown of brownifh or 
purplifh fpots. 
Mod of the writers on birds have defcribed this fpecies. Ray and Willughby call it 
Lanius minor, and the lefier Butcher-bird5 Aldrovand, Lanius tertius5 and others, 
Lanius tertius Aldrovandi, We call it, in the North of England, where it is more 
frequent than in any other part, the Flufher. 
Falco pedibus nigris , capite rufo , dorfo variegato. 
1 The black-legged Falco , with a brown head , and 
variegated bach 
1 
This is the fmallefl: of all the hawk-kind 3 it is not much larger than a fparrow, 
but it is a bold looking bird, and even a bold feeder : the head is fmall, but it is not 
flatted, as in many of the hawk-kind, but rounded s the beak is large, in proportion 
to the fize of the bird 3 it is broad at the bafe, and prominent on the upper part 5 the 
extremity of it is very hooked: the upper chap is much longer than the under, and 
the hooked extremity, which turns over it, is very fharp 5 it is of a dark bluifli- 
black toward the bafe, and at the extremity it is quite black : the cera or membrane 
furrounding the bafe of it is of a deep glofly, lead colour 3 and the noflrils, which are 
fituated in this, are fmall and round : the tongue is divided at the end, apd there is a 
cavity in the palate fitted to receive it. 
The head is of a dufky brown, with a tinge of the ferrugineous in it 3 the back is 
alfo of a reddifh-brown, and is elegantly variegated with tranfverfe lines of black: 
the feathers of the rump are of a more reddifh tinge than any of the others, and they 
are variegated with femicircular fpots of yellowifh : the throat and breafl are of a 
pale colour, but they alfo are variegated in an extreamly elegant manner* with femi¬ 
circular lines or fpots of a deep black: the lower part of the belly is entirely 
white. 
The long feathers of the wings are brown 3 but thofe which are nearefl: the body, 
and all the covering feathers, have their edges of a reddifh-brown. 
The tail is of a very deep, ferrugineous brown, approaching to black, but the ex¬ 
terior feathers have the pinnules on the outer fide of the rib entirely white 5 the four 
fucceeding ones on each fide are white at the extremities, and the two middle ones are 
entirely of a reddifh-brown. 
4 x 
This 
