276 Lord hiUord— Notes on 



which distinguish F. punicus from the Peregrinoid form with 

 which they were best acquainted — that isj from what, for 

 want of a better definition, I must call the typical F. pere- 

 yrinus of Europe. Mr. Gurney, loc. supra cit., has gone 

 into such elaborate details on the measurements and plumages 

 of the three races or subspecies, F. barbarus, F. punicus, and 

 F. minor, that any remarks of mine on these points would be 

 superfluous ; and I feel that the best that I can do is to pre- 

 sent to the readers of 'The Ibis' the accompanying figure 

 (Plate VIII.) of the female bird from the nest on Maddalena 

 above described. The original drawing was taken from life by 

 Mr. E. Neale in the late autumn of 1884, and the Falcon, still 

 alive (March 1887), has not materially altered in plumage 

 from the state in which she is therein depicted. I may here 

 mention that I believe that this form of Peregrine is the bird 

 described by Alonzo Martinez de Espinar ('Arte de Balles- 

 teria,' etc., Madrid, 1871) at p. 335 of his work, under the 

 name of " Alcon montano,'' and possibly also under those of 

 " Alcon Bahari " and " A. Borni.^' Of the first he writes : — 

 " The Mountain Ealcons were so called because they breed in 

 the mountains : their colour is grey, variegated, dark spots : 

 they are nearly of the size of the Neblies (F.peregrimis), shorter 

 in body and feather, but very powerful ; their temperament 

 is savage and passionate ; they are so full of spirit, that they 

 attack any bird, however strong or large it may be ; they 

 should not be flown at what they cannot kill, for they become 

 disgusted, and are lost ; and if by chance they return to the 

 falconer, they attack him or the Falcon that assists them, for 

 they are of a very evil disposition.^' The author just quoted 

 gives, at p. 330, a concise, but very clear and intelligible, 

 description of the Lanner, Falco feldeggi, under the name of 

 " Alcon Alfaneque,'' and of the Barbary Falcon, F. barbarus 

 of O. Salvin, loc, supra cit. (Linn. ?, nee Briss.), under that of 

 " Alcon Tagarote.'' Of the former of these two Falcons he 

 writes that " they breed in Barbary, and many are sold in 

 Oran ;" and of the latter, that " they also breed in Africa ; are 

 of the colour of Peregrines, though the white of their plumage 

 is somewhat encendido (warmed up), like the colour of brasil 



