Letters, Announcements ^ S^c. 121 



Now the blackish head aud nape, with the rufous base of the 

 feathers showing through in places on the nape, are alone enough 

 to awaken my suspicion that this specimen is an example of F. 

 peregrinator ; and, as a fact, I believe we have here in Col. Tytler's 

 museum the partner of this very bird, also from Kotegurh, and 

 shot almost at the same time. I would remark that it is a mis- 

 take to suppose that all specimens of F. peregrinator exhibit in 

 an equally marked degree the rufous underplumage. I have 

 one specimen, an adult male, the whole lower parts of which, 

 including the chin and throat, ai'e of a pure bright (but not deep) 

 chestnut. On the other hand. Col. Tytler has a fine male, an 

 undoubted F. peregrinator, which has the chin, throat, and neck 

 in front pure white, the ear-coverts and sides of the neck only 

 having a faint salmon-coloured tinge towai'ds the tip of the 

 feathers. On the breast some feathers are nearly pure white, 

 others, chiefly towards the sides, have a decided, but not deep, 

 salmon-coloured tinge. The middle of the abdomen alone is of 

 a pure salmon-colour, the vent is yellowish, and the sides, flanks, 

 thighs, and lower tail-coverts have only a faint yellowish salmon- 

 coloured tinge. The head, nape, and upper part of the back are 

 positively black; there are the bufi" or rufous-bufi^ patches on the 

 nape, and the numerous comparatively narrow bars on the 

 inner web of the first primaries. Yet as regards the rufous 

 tinge, with the exception of the median patch on the abdomen, 

 I have seen many examples of the true F. peregrmus more 

 rufous. 



I should like Herr von Pelzeln to examine the under surface 

 of the first primary in his bird, and see if the white bars are not 

 more numerous and, compared with specimens of apparently the 

 same age, far narrower than they are in any true F. peregrinus. 

 Moreover I would add that his specimen, if I am correct, is the 

 female of the very male bird I have just described. Falco perc- 



peregrinus ; but otliers"coiisider tlie " Falco communis indictts " of Gmelin 

 to refer to the species subsequently called by Prof. Sundevall F. pere- 

 grinator. This is what Herr von Pelzeln seems to have done, but our 

 correspondent's remarks make the diiFerences between the species last 

 mentioned and F. peregrinus so very clear that they will be read with 

 interest. — Ed.] 



