A('("iri'l"l{KS— FALCONID.I. 177 



F, alba gracilirostris (llartert). Bill and legs much 

 more slender; spots smaller than in "schmitzi." Wing 255- 

 265 (H.). 



Residetit. — E. Canaries (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote). 



ACCIPITRES. 



Diurnal birds of prey; bill hooked, sharp pointed; 

 claws strong ; eggs spotted red, sometimes without 

 spots. 



PALCONID^. 



Characters as in genus. Nostrils small and rounded or 

 slit-like. 



Falco. 



Sharp tooth on upper mandible and corresponding notch 

 in lower mandible; nostrils round, with tubercle in middle; 

 of powerful flight and very bold, capturing prey on wing ; 

 nest on trees, rocks, or ground, nests either self-made or 

 appropriated; eggs variable but usually blotched and marked 

 with deep orange rufous or reddish brown on a dull white, 

 reddish white, or buff ground. $ larger than ,^ . 



Palco peregrinus peregrinus 1 unstall. Peregrine 

 Falcon. Fr. Faucon pelerin ; Ger. WanderAdke ; Ital. Falcone ; 

 Swcd. Pilgrimsfalk. 



^ Above blue slate with obscure dark bars, sooty black on 

 nape, sides of head, and rictal stripe (which is broad and short) ; 

 a narrow tongue of white separates rictal stripe from black of 

 sides of head ; beneath buffy white tinged more or less reddish, 

 chest uniform or with long drop-like streaks, rest of underparts 

 barred or spotted dark brown. Bill slate blue with black tip. 

 Cere yellow. Tarsus half feathered. Legs and feet yellow, 

 claws black. Iris hazel. Wing J 300-330, 9 350-380. Tarsus 

 ,^ 40-45, 9 49-54. Bill ^ 19-20, 9 23-26. ? Larger, darker 

 above, and more banded below. Young : head and neck browner, 

 crown and nape marked with dull and rufous white ; upper parts 



