History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Buteo. BIRDS. ACCIPITRES. 55De Accipitre Palumbario, Will. Orn. 51 Sibb. Scot 15. Goshawk,Penn. Brit. Zool. i.134,— Falco, Palumbus, Temm. i. 55.— TV, Hebogmarthin.—Breeds in Scotland ; is rare in England.Length about 2 feet. Bill blue, tipt with black, cere yellowish green, iridesand feet yellow. Plumage, above, bluish-grey beneath, while, with transversebrown bars. Tail cinereous, with 4 or 5 dark brown bands. The fe-;male has the plumage above, with a tinge of brown ; and brownish streaks onthe throat. Breeds in trees, and probably rocks. Eggs 2 to 4, bluish-white,with brown spots and streaks. In the young birds, the head, neck, and belly,are rufous, with longitudinal brown spots. Tip of the tail white. These, indifferent stages of their plumage, have been termed Gentil Falcons. Feedson the largest kinds of birds. It was formerly held hi high esteem in hunting,and flown at cranes, geese, and big game.24. B. Nisus. Sparrow-hawk.— Tarsi long.A white spoton the nape.De Accipitre Fringillario, Will. Orn. 51. Sibb. Scot. 15.— Sparrow-hawk,Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 198 Falco Nisus, Tern. Orn. L 56.— W, Gwepia;G, Speir sheog—Common.Length 12, breadth 23 inches; weight 5 ounces. Bill black, cere, hides,and legs, yellow. The bill is sharp, and the hook on the upper mandible distinct.Plumage above, deep bluish-grey ; beneath, white, with a reddishtinge, with longitudinal streaks of brown on the throat, and transverse barson the other parts. Tail with indistinct bands. Female two thirds larger.Breeds in trees and old ruins. Eggs 3 to 6, dirty white, with angular reddishspots.The Young have the upper parts with a reddish tinge, and yellowish,or brown, beneath. Feeds on small birds, which it pursues fearlessly.Destructive to pigeons and young chickens.b. The third quill-featherthe longest. Tarsi produced.25. B. ceruginosus.— Moor Buzzard. Nostrils kidney-shaped.Wings a little shorter than the tail.Milvus serug.Will. Orn. 42. Sibb. Scot. 15.— Falco serug. Linn. Syst.i.139.— Moor Buzzard, Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 192—Falco rufus, fern. L69.— S, Bog-gled ; W, Bod y gwerni.— Near swampy situations, notuncommon.Length 20, breadth 50 inches ; weight 21 ounces. Bill and claws black ;cere and irides yellow. The upper mandible has a distinct blunt tooth.Head, neck, and breast, yellowish-white, with longitudinal brown spots ; therest of the plumage chocolate-brown, with the margins more or lessferruginous.Quills white at the base, the remainder black. Inner webs of thefirst four, and the outer webs of the second, third, fourth and fifth abbreviated.Breeds on the ground, rarely on trees. Eggs 3 or 4, less than those ofthe preceding species, and of a spotless white. Young with the plumagemore uniformly brown, including the crown, chin, and breast, the yellowishwhiteappearing only on the hind head. Iris brownish black. Feeds like theformer.26. B. cineraceus. Ash-coloured Buzzard.— Wings exceedthe tail in length.Falco cinerarius, Mont. Orn. Diet, et Suppt. Lin. Trans, ix. 188. Tern.L 76.— Breeds hi England.— Montagu.Length 18, breadth 44 inches; weight 9| ounces. Bill and claws black;the latter small. Cere greenish. Irides, and margins of the eye, and legsyellow. Plumage, above, cinereous brown ; beneath, white, with a broadstreak of bright bay down the shaft of each feather. Quills dusky black ; thefirst very short, the third by far the longest. Secondaries cinereous with