between Takoo and Peking, North China. 327 



6. Kestrel, Faico tinnunculus, L. 

 Not common. 



7. Merlin. Falco cesalon, L. 



I was watching a small Hawk being chased by a Magpie. The 

 Hawk was in great distress and screamed piteously as it flew 

 round and round the woody graveyard in which I was standing, 

 to try and elude its persecutor. Presently I heard the report of 

 a gun outside, and running out found Colonel Dupont and M. 

 Zill with the body of a female of this species expiring in their 

 hands. 



8. Red-legged Falcon. Falco vespertimis, L. 

 Occasionally seen. M. Zill assured me he had seen and shot 



it at Chefoo, the northernmost promontory of Shantung, where 

 the French rendezvoused. 



9. Sparrow- Hawk. Accipitei' nisust 



I suppose this is the same as the South-Chinese species; but the 

 female I procured has rust-tinted axillae as in the European bird, 

 whereas those parts in the Amoy bird are white. I must say I 

 took an unfair advantage of the individual of which I send the 

 skin. It was very nearly dark one evening when I was standing 

 in a pine plantation looking out for Blue Pies. I felt, rather than 

 saw, something dark by me. It charged into a tree, and settled 

 on a bough. I put up my gun and fired at guess, and to my delight 

 picked up a bonny Sparrow- Hawk. This took place in Novem- 

 ber on our return march^ the thermometer standing below 

 freezing-point, 



9 a. Eagle-Owl. Bubo maximus. 



10. Tawny Owl. Otus brachyotus, L, ? 



When the army was advancing on the north wall of Peking, 

 an owl was put up from its skulking-place in a field of dried 

 maize-stalk. It flew round and round and again settled. It 

 appeared to me to belong to this species. 



11. Goat-sucker. Caprimulgus jotaka, Schlegel. 



A male was caught alive in August soon after our landing at 

 Pehtang. This species I take tobe the true C jotaka of the ' Fauna 

 Japonica.' It seems to differ somewhat from our Amoy species. 



