44 :Mr. E. C. Taylor's Ornithological 



fully 21 inches in length. As far as I know, this is the only 

 occasion on which this bird was seen by any of our party. 

 This species, which is labelled Falco lanarius both in the Britisii 

 and the Paris museums, and is described as Falco sacer by Prince 

 Charles Lucien Bonaparte in his ' Conspectus Generum Avium,' 

 is probably the "Saker" of falconry. Under that name it is 

 figured by Mr. Bree. There was a fine specimen of it alive in 

 the gardens of the Zoological Society of London during the last 

 spring and summer, labeled Falco lanarius. The specimen we 

 procured in Egypt had the legs and feet pale yellow ; the top of 

 the head yellowish white, with a brown streak along the centre 

 of each feather ; the whole upper surface of the body and wings 

 (as I believe is always the case in this species) brown, without 

 any tinge of blue. Under surface white, with large and nume- 

 rous brown spots. 



9. Falco biarmicus, Temm. Double-bearded Falcon. 



Falco cervicalis, Licht. 

 This species is by far the most abundant of the large Falcons 

 in Egypt. It fully equals Falco peregrinus in size, the specimens 

 we killed varying from 17^ to 19 inches in length according to 

 sex and age. This bird is labeled in the British Museum Falco 

 cervialis, a name of which I do not understand the meaning. 

 Biarmicus and cervicalis are not bad specific names for it, as the 

 double moustache and rufous cervix are its most striking cha- 

 racteristics. This species is by some considered to be the true 

 Lanner of falconry. I have never seen a good figure of it. It 

 differs conspicuously from the preceding species in having the 

 top of the head and nape of the neck bright rufous ; a double 

 moustache; and the whole upper surface of body and wings bluish 

 grey, each feather edged with buff. It is also much smaller, 

 and has the under surface of the body cream-colour, with small 

 roundish black spots. The legs and feet are of a bright yellow. 



10. Falco peregrinus. Peregrine Falcon. 



By no means abundant. I saw it two or three times, and 

 shot one specimen. 



11. Falco ^salon. Merlin. 



Tolerably abundant. I noticed rather a strange numerical 



