| OCR Text |
Show 582 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON CERTAIN ACCIPITRES. [Nov. 3, In its dark coloration it approaches closely to a specimen of C. japo-nica ; but this bird has not such a thoroughly blue tail. I add a few measurements of Kestrels, as those given in m y ' Catalogue ' do not give an exact idea of the proportions of C. tinnunculus and C. rupicola, the former appearing rather too small. a. C. tinnunculus. Total length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 1. cf ad. Thuringia 12*5 9-6 6-7 1*4 2. 2 ad. Aboyne, N.B. .. 14-0 10'2 7*0 1*5 3. <? ad. Belgium 14-0 10*0 7*5 1*5 4. cf ad. Nepal 14*0 10-3 7*3 1*6 5. cf ad. Behar 15*0 10-4 7*3 1*6 6. Jjuv. Bagdad 13*0 9-4 6-6 1*55 /3. C. tinnunculus (dark race). 1. 2 ad. Aldenham, Herts. 14*0 9*8 7*0 1*55 2. 2 imm. Fokien, China. 14*5 10'2 67 1*6 y. C. rupicola. a. 2 ad. Cape of Good Hope. 12*7 9*7 6-0 1-45 6. $ ad. Angola 14-0 9*6 6'6 1*45 c. cfad. „ 12*0 9*2 6-2 1*45 d. cfad. „ 12-0 8-8 5-9 1*4 e. cfad. Cape of Good Hope. 12-5 10-1 6-2 1*55 Kestrels, like other raptorial birds, are never very easy to measure and it is seldom that two people measure the same bird with exactly the same results. The dimensions of these birds, therefore, can only be taken in a very broad and general sense; but supposing that in the above list we have an average series of specimens, the following result is obtained :- Male. Female. O tinnunculus I W i n S 9"4-10-4. Wing 9*8-10-2. O. tinnunculus.. .. j T a r g u s 1.4_1.g Tarsus l.5_1.gi C rumcola \ WinS ^-lO'l. Wing 9*6-9*7. L' iUFlcoia \ Tarsus 1*4-1*55. Tarsus U45. In the ' Catalogue' (p. 428) a series of C. tinnunculus measured as follows:-( cf ) wing 9*3-10*2, tarsus 1*45-1*6; ( ? ) wing 9*5, tarsus 1*6 ; so that the full results of m y measurements of this species show that the wing of the male varies from 9-3 to 10-4 inches, and its tarsus from 1*4 to 1*6 inch; while in the female the wing varies from 9*5 to 10-2 inches, and the tarsus from 1*5 to 1*6 inch. I discard the dimensions of C. rupicola given by m e in the above-mentioned volume, as some error has certainly crept in there. The general average, therefore, of C. tinnunculus is larger than that of C. rupicola, although both species vary immensely. On looking over a series of both placed side by side, almost the only differences are the darker and more chestnut tone of the rufous in C. rupicola as compared with the paler and more vinous tint of C. tinnunculus, |
