378 FAICONID^. 



patch of white separating the ear-coverts from the hind neck ; under 

 surface of body white, with a tinge of pale fawn on the breast and 

 lower abdomen, the throat unspotted, the chest with a few narrow 

 black shaft-stripes ; rest of the under sm-face crossed with narrow 

 bars of blackish, taking the form of spots in the centre of the breast, 

 and of narrow dart-shaped lines on the under tail-coverts ; quills 

 brownish black, primaries slightly shaded with greyish, the secon- 

 daries clearer grey, crossed by dull blackish bars, the smaller median 

 quills tipped with white ; tail-feathers greyish, broadly barred with 

 black and tipped with white, the bars more obscure towards the tip 

 of the tail, which thus appears darker than the base ; cere and eye- 

 lids yellow ; bill blue, blackish towards tip ; feet yellow, claws 

 black ; iris dark hazel-brown. Total length 15 inches, culmen 1*2, 

 wing 12-12-7, tail 6-5_, tarsus 2-05. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but larger. Total 

 length 17 inches, culmen 1-35, wing 14-5, tail 7"5, tarsus 2-3. 



Young male. Brown, all the feathers margined with buffy brown, 

 shading off into white on the extreme edge ; primaries dark brown, 

 without any perceptible paler margin ; upper tail-coverts and tail- 

 feathers brown, broadly tipped with buffy white, the outer web 

 spotted, and the inner one barred with pale rufous, more or less 

 distinct ; crown of head brown, with paler edgings, like the back, 

 forehead and fore part of crown, a broad streak from the hind part 

 of eye to the nape, and the whole of the latter mottled with white 

 and slightly tinged with rufous ; feathers in front of eye, moustachial 

 streak, and feathers above the ear-coverts dark brown, the sides of the 

 face and neck whitish, with a few dark brown shaft-stripes ; under 

 surface of the body whitish, the throat unspotted, all the rest of the 

 feathers dark brown in the centre, these central markings becoming 

 broader and more dart-shaped on the sides of the body, while on the 

 lower flanks they take the form of interrupted bars ; cere and eye- 

 lids blue ; feet yeUow. Total length 15 inches, wing 12-2. 



Young female. Similar to the young male, but much larger. 

 Total length 17 inches, wing 14. 



Young male on leaving the nest. Brown, all the feathers edged 

 with rufous, a clear greyish shade pervading the upper surface, and 

 particularly distinct on the secondaries ; head and neck rusty buff, 

 the sides of the crown and occiput, the nape and hind neck, the 

 feathers behind the eye, and the moustachial line mottled with 

 blackish ; under surface of the body rusty buff, with longitudinal 

 median spots of dark brown, fewer on the thighs, and changing 

 into bars on the under wing- and tail-coverts ; throat paler and 

 unspotted*. 



* The above descriptions are taken from European specimens ; but I add 

 some of birds from various localities, to aid in a further examination of the 

 questions at issue : — 



a. From the Himalayas,'i = ¥. atriceps, Hume. 



Adult male. Upper surface pale bhie-grey, lighter on the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts, very narrowly barred across with greyish black, nearly obsolete on 



