238 FALLO W-CHA T—FANTAIL 



135). It is at once distinguished by its very dark colouring, the 

 lower parts being occasionally almost as deeply tinted at all ages 

 as the upper. 



All the birds hitherto named possess one character in common. 

 The darker markings of their plumage are longitudinal before the 

 first real moult takes place, and for ever afterwards are transverse. 

 In other words, when young the markings are in the form of stripes, 

 when old in that of bars. The variation of tint is very great, 

 especially in F. peregrinus ; but the exj^erience of falconers, whose 

 business it is to keep their birds in the very highest condition, 

 shews that a Falcon of either of these groups if light- coloured in 

 youth is light-coloured when adult, and if dark when young is also 

 dark when old — age, after the first moult, making no difference in 

 the complexion of the bird. The next group is that df the so- 

 called " Desert -Falcons " {Gennsea), wherein the difference just 

 indicated does not obtain, for long as the bird may live and often 

 as it may moult, the original style of markings never gives way to 

 any other. Foremost among these are to be considered the Lanner 

 and the Saker (commonly termed F. lanarius and F. sacer), both 

 well known in the palmy days of Falconry, but only within the last 

 fifty years or so re-admitted to full recognition. Both of these 

 birds belong properly to South-eastern Europe, North Africa, 

 and South-western Asia. They are, for their bulk, less powerful 

 than the members of the preceding group, and though they may 

 be trained to high flights are naturally captors of humbler game. 

 The precise number of species belonging here is very doubtful, but 

 among the many candidates for recognition are especially to be 

 named the Lugger, F. jugger, of India, and the Prairie-Falcon, 

 F. mexicanus, of the western plains of North America. 



The systematist finds it hard to decide in what group he should 

 place two somewhat large Australian species, F. hypoleucus and F. 

 subniger, both of which are rare in collections — the latter especially ; 

 and, until more is known about them, their position must remain 

 doubtful. 



FALLOW-CHAT, a local name of the Wheatear. 



F ANT AIL, the name of a well-known breed of domestic 

 Doves, but also given by the English in India, Australia, and 

 New Zealand to several species of the genus FJiijpidura of Vigors 

 and Horsfield, supposed to belong to the Family Muscicapidx 

 (Flycatcher), and containing more than thirty species which have 

 the habit of expanding their tail, generally a much -developed 

 feature, by a sidelong flirt. By some the Indian and Malayan 

 forms are separated as a genus Leucocerca {cf. Jerdon, B. Ind. i. pp. 

 450-454; Gould, Handb. B. Austral i. pp. 237-246).i 



^ Fantail-WARBLER is a name that has been given to the CisHcola schoenicola 



