Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue of Accipitres. 307 



in the case of the adult^ may serve as a substitute for the 

 omitted description. 



In the adult specimens which I have examined, the regularity 

 of the dark transverse bars on the lower breast, abdomen, and 

 tibise resembles that portion of the plumage of F. melanogenys; 

 but the black bars on the breast are somewhat less narrow 

 than is usual in that species, and there is often a slight ten- 

 dency to spots on the centre of the breast, in which points 

 F. minor more nearly resembles F. peregrmus ; the coloration 

 of the upper parts is similar to that of F. melanogenys and 

 of tlie more darkly-coloured individuals of F. peregrinus, 

 and the nape, so far as I have observed, shows no trace of 

 rufous. 



This absence from the nape of the adult South- African 

 F. minor of any trace of rufous is important, as its frequent 

 presence is noticeable in the North-African race, which Mr. 

 Dresser, in his ' Birds of Europe,^ has identified with F. minor ; 

 and the probability of its being always absent from Soutli- 

 African adult specimens is increased by the descriptions of this 

 Falcon given by Sir A. Smith and Mr. Layard, as observed 

 by them in South Africa. 



Sir A. Smith, writing of this species under the title 

 of F. peregrinoides (which may be considered erroneous, 

 being founded on the misspelt specific name of " pelegri- 

 noides" previously proposed by Temminck for F. barbarus) 

 in the ^ South- African Quarterly Journal,' vol. i. p. 235, 

 describes the adult as having the " front, crown, and nape 

 dark greyish blue, with each feather marked by a narrow 

 longitudinal black streak towards its centre ; back of neck 

 Idackish, with the feathers tipt by dark bluish grey, witli 

 transverse dusky-black bands.'' 



Mr. Layard writes thus respecting this species in the first 

 edition of his 'Birds of South Africa,' p. 19:— "The de- 

 scription given of F. peregrinus will suffice equally well for 

 this species, with the exception that all the specimens which 

 have fallen under my observation seem to be duller co- 

 loured," his description of the parts in question in F. pere- 

 grinus being as follows : — '^ General colour above deep bluish 



