File:The royal natural history (1893) (14804686513).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ad of being ruthlessly shot down. Altlioughoccasionally placed in a hollow tree, the nest is more generally situated amongrocks or old Imildings, while still more frequently the deserted nest of someother bird, such as a crow, magpie, or raven is taken advantage of. The eggs,usually four f)r five, but sometimes six in number, may be either mottled all overwith brownish Iod or orange, or blotchcil with these colours upon a liglit ground.They are generally hatched late in April, or early in the following month. 19© DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. The lesser kestrel (F. cenchris) is an inhabitant of Southern and South-Eastern Europe, migrating in winter to South Africa; and while scarcely smallerthan the common species, has shorter wings. In the adult male the headhinder neck, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail are bluish grey; the latter havinga broad subterminal dark band and a white tip; while the whole of the backis cinnamon-rufous, without any black spots. The throat is yellowish white, and
Text Appearing After Image:
LESSER KESTREL (g liat. size) most of the other under-parts are cinnamon-coloured with small black spots,becoming larger on the sides of the body, but disappearing on the thighs, which areuniform pale rufous. Although the cere and limbs resemble those of the commonspecies in colour, the claws are generally white. The female is very similar tothe hen of the common species, although lighter in colour, and with white claws,Spain, Malta, Southern Italy, and especially Greece, are some of the countrieswhere the lesser kestrel is most common; but it also ranges into Syiia, Turkej^,Asia Minor, and Persia, and has been obtained from the steppes of Western Siberia.It may be seen on the Acropolis of Athens, the churches of Madrid, and the FALCONS. 191 Moorish temples of Granada. In Greece and Spain it nests late in April or early inMay, selecting either buildings, rocks, or hollow trees for its breeding-place, andbeing often found in company with the ordinary kestrel. In Malta it may beseen in

Note About Images