•Clafs II.] B 
color, marked with numerous tranfverfe black 
bars : the breaft is of a dirty yellowifh white} 
and the middle of each feather has an oblong 
dulky ftreak, pointing downwards. 
The keftril breeds in the hollows of trees, in 
the holes of high rocks, towers and ruined builds 
ings : it lays four eggs, of the fame color with 
I R D S* 69 
thofe of the preceding fpecies : its food is field 
mice, fmall birds, and infers ; which it will dif- 
cover at a great diftance. This is the hawk that 
we fo frequently fee in the air fixed in one place, 
and as it were fanning it with its wings ; at which 
time it is watching for its prey. When Falconry 
'1 
was in ufe in Great-Britain , this kind was trained 
for catching fmall birds and young partridges. 
SPECIES XIL The Hobby. Plate A 9. 
The Hobby. JVil. orn. 83. 
Rail Jyn. av. 15. 
Dendro-falcOi Brijfon av- I- 375. 
T I S bird was alfo ufed in the humbler 
kind of falconry ; particularly in what 
was called daring of larks : the hawk 
was call off; the larks aware of their moft in¬ 
veterate enemy, are fixed to the ground thro’ fear 5 
which makes them a ready prey to the fowler, by 
drawing a net over them. Mr. Willoughby fays 
that the hobby is a bird of paflage $ but that it 
breeds in England, The male weighs feveii 
ounces : the length is one foot; the breadth two 
feet three inches : the crown of the head, and 
back are of a deep bluifh black : the hind part of 
Falco fubbuteo Lin. fyjl. 89. 
Gefher av. 75. fcem . 
the head is marked with two pale yellow fpots : 
the coverts of the wings are of the fame color 
with the back, but llightly edged with ruft color: 
the interior webs of the fecondary and quil fea¬ 
thers, are varied with oval tranfverfe reddifh fpots: 
the two middle feathers of the tail are entirely of 
a deep dove color , the others are barred on their 
interior fides with ruft color, and tipt with a dirty 
white. The fpots on the breaft of the female are 
of a higher color than thofe of the male: it is 
greatly fuperior in fize, its legs have a tinge of 
green, in other refpe&s it refembles the former. 
SPECIES XIII. The Sparrow Hawk. Plate A 1 o. The Male. 
JVil. orn. 86. 
Rail Jyn. av. i8„ 
Brijffbn av. I. 310* 
Plate A 11. The Female. 
Falco nil us. Lin. fyft. 92. 
Gefner av. 51. 
■^HE difference between the fize of the 
male and female fparrow hawks, is more 
difproportionate than in moft other birds 
of prey; the former fometimes fcarce weighing five 
ounces, the latter nine ounces : the length of the 
male is about twelve inches, the breadth twenty- 
three : the female is fifteen inches long $ in 
breadth twenty-fix. 
The back, head, coverts of the wings, and tail 
in the male, are of a deep brown, edged with a 
rufty red: the quil feathers are dulky, barred with 
black on their exterior webs, and fpotted with 
white on the lower part of their inner webs : the 
tail is of a deep afh color marked with five broad 
black bars, the tip white : the breaft and belly are 
of a whitiilv yellow, adorned with tranfverfe weaved 
R bars 
