112 faxconidj:. 



under tail-coverts white ; bill li.oni-blue ; feet yellow ; iris deep 

 yellow. Total length 13'5 inches, culmen 0-85, wing 9*1, tail 7, 

 tarsus 2-1. 



Adult female. Altogether duller in colour, but larger than ^the 

 male, the transverse barring on the under surface much broader 

 and not of such a bright vinous tint. Total length 16-2 inches, 

 wing 9-8, tail 7, tarsus 2*1. 



Hab. Central Russia, Tnrkey, Asia Minor, Greece, and Persia, 

 extending into Syria in winter. 



a. 2 ^d. sk. Timok River, SerAaa Baron A. von Hiigel [P.] (cf. 



(Hodcli). Schliiter, Zool. Gart. I. c). 



b. 2 jiiv. sk SmjTua, Aug. 1858 J. H. Gumey, Esq. [P.]. 



( Gonzenhnch ) . 



c. S juv. St. Damascus. 



Subsp. S. Astur sphenurus. 



Falco spheniu'us, Riipp. Keue Wirh. p. 42 (1835). 



Accipiter brachydactylus, Swains. B. W. Afr. i. p. 118 (1837); Strickl. 



Orn. S)jn. p. 114 (1855). 

 Nisus sphenm'us, Riipp. St/st. Ueheis. pp. 6, 11, pi. 2 (1845) ; JBp. Rev. 



et Mag. de Zool. 1854, "p. 538 ; Blanf. Geol. 4- Zool. Abyss, p. 294 



(1870). 

 Astur rueppellii, Kaiip, Isis, 1847, p. 189. 

 Micronisus rueppellii, Kaup, Contr. Orn. 1850, p. 66. 

 Accipiter sphenurus, Graif, Gen. B. i. p. 29 (1849) ; Bp. Consp. i. 



p. 32 (1850) ; StricJd. Orn. Si/n. p. 113 (1855) ; miif/l. Ibis, 1861, 



p. 74. 

 Melierax sphenurus, Hartl. Abhandl. Geh. naturw. Hamb. 1852, p. 15, 

 Nisus hvbris, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 4 (1854, ex Ehr. MS.). 

 Astur brachydactylus, Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 14 (1857). 

 Accipiter polioparejus, Heugl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 428. 

 Micronisus guttatus, Hetujl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 430. 

 Micronisus badius, Heugl. Peterm. Mittk. 1861, p. 20. 

 Micronisus sphenurus, Hctu/l. Peterm. Mitth. 1861, p. 20 ; Bi-ehm, 



Reise n. Habesch, p. 207 (1863) ; Grai/, Hand-l. B. i. p. 35 (1869). 

 Nisus badius; Heuql. Orn. X.O.-Afr. i. p. 70 (1869) ; Finsch, Tr. Z. 



S. vii. p. 205 (1871). 

 Nisus brachydactylus, Giebel, Orn. Thes. p. 263 (1872). 



Young. Above ashy brown, with rufous margins to the feathers, 

 especially distinct on the head and nape, the latter mottled with 

 white ; an indistinct superciliary streak white, streaked with dark 

 brown ; ear-coverts rufous brown, streaked with greyish brown ; 

 throat white, with a broad central streak of greyish brown, and a 

 few streaks of the same on the lower throat ; rest of under surface 

 white, with distinct oval drops of rufous brown on the chest, some- 

 what inclining to bars on the sides of the body ; thighs barred on 

 the upper and spotted on the lower part with pale rufous brown ; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts buffy 

 white, with broad spots and bars of brown ; quills dark brown, the 

 secondaries shaded with ashy grey, all plainly crossed with blackish 

 bars, more distinct underneath, where the quills are bnflf-coloured 

 near the base of the inner web ; tail ashy grey, with a whitish tip. 



