381 



Capt. Collinson [P. 



Capt. Collinson [P.'^ 



J. K. Lord, Esq. [C.]. 



Dr. Lyall [P.]. 



R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.". 



R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



W. Cottle, Esq. [p.]. 

 s'. Skeleton. Purchased. 



t.', u'. Sterna. B. H. Hodgson, Esq. [P.]. 



v'-z'. Sterna. Purchased. 



Obs. In the ' Annals of Natural History ' for March 1873 I gave 

 the result of my studies on the Peregrine Falcons in the Museum 

 collection, and recognized eight species, viz. : — 1. Falco communis, 

 Gm. ; 2. F. brooJcii, Sharpe ; 3. F. nigriceps, Cass. ; 4. F. niicnirus, 

 Hodgs. ; 5. F. peregrlnator, Sund. ; 6. F. melanogenys, Gould ; 7. F. 

 minor, Bp. ; and 8. F. cassini, Sharpe. Since writing that article I 

 have studied these Falcons in several continental museums, espe- 

 cially in the Leiden collection, where an admirable series exists. I 

 find, therefore, that some of my conclusions require modification. 

 In the first place the characters of jj?Hmrt^(? in Falco hrookii are not 

 trustworthy ; and all that can be said of that bird is, that it pro- 

 bably represents a small race resident in the countries bordering 

 the Mediterranean Sea. Then, again, Mr. Salvin ha.9 suggested to 

 me that my F. cassini is the true F. nignceps of Cassin. On a re- 

 examination of this question I must indorse my previous views on 

 the subject. In their recently published ' Nomenclator,' Messrs. 

 Sclater and Salvin recognize only one species of Peregrine all over 

 the New World, viz. F. commmiis, being in this respect at variance 

 with the late Mr. Cassin, Mr. Gurney, and myself. I cannot help 

 thinking that any one devoting a close study to these confessedly 

 difficult birds will find that there are three southern forms, confined 

 to and resident in the extreme south of America, Africa, and 

 Australia. At the same time the true northern type of Peregrine 

 occurs, though rarely, within the domain of these resident species, 

 migrating thence from the north ; and although there is not much 

 difficulty about the African and Australian birds, there is a question 

 as to the nomenclature of the New- World species. It is therefore 

 necessary to examine the works in which Mr. Cassin alludes to his 

 Falco nigriceps. We find that he first speaks of it in the ' Birds 

 of Texas,' and fixes the date of the title as " December 1853." It 

 seems clear to me that he intended the North-American bird to be 

 the true F. nigriceps, as he points out the distinctions between the 

 western bird and that from eastern North America {F. communis 

 vel anatum). At the same time he mentions that his species goes 

 down to Chili (Gilliss), and he figures a presumed Chilian specimen 

 in the report on the ' TJ. S. Astronomical Expedition ' published in 

 1855. This, Mr. Salvin thinks, indicates that the Chilian Peregrine 

 was intended by Cassin to be the typical F. nigricejjs, while I contend 

 that there is nothing to show that he recognized a second form in 

 South America, although there undoubtedly is such form ; nor is there 



