278 Mr. B. Alexander on the 



onward the adults, with companies of young birds, begin to 

 mobilize their forces outside the villages. On Oct. 28th, 

 1897, while on Boa Vista, we killed an adult female which 

 would have laid her eggs in another week. 



Falco neglectus. 



We took the two first eggs of this species on Raza on 

 Oct. 11th, 1897, and a week later we obtained a series of 

 clutches on Boa Vista. The nests were built on rocky ledges 

 on the precipitous sides of hills. As a rule they were flimsy 

 structures, consisting of fine roots and tufts of dead grass, 

 with a little goat's-hair, and sometimes old rags, for a 

 lining. The southern islands of the archipelago, especially 

 Santiago and Maio, possess a larger form of this Kestrel. 

 The Falco neglectus of Schlegel inhabits the northern islands, 

 and is to be found breeding entirely in the precipitous rocks 

 of hills, while the larger form invariably resorts to the tops 

 of tall coconut-trees for nesting-purposes, and numerous 

 pairs may frequently be foimd in one grove. Again, on 

 the other islands the small form is met with in isolated 

 pairs during the breeding-season. We obtained a fine series 



of both. 



Length. Wing. Tail, 



in. in. in. 



Adult J , Santo Antao 11-0 77 5-0 



„ J , Sao Nicolau 11-3* 7-8 4-6 (worn) 



„ 5 , Santo Antao 12-5 8-0 5-5 



„ 2, Sao Nicolau 12-9* 8-4 5-6 



The measurements of the two latter are almost identical 

 with those of the typical specimen in the British Museum, 

 which was obtained at Sao Vicente. 



Lengtb. Wing. Tail, 



in. in. in. 



Adult S , Santiago 13-0 8-6 5-6 



„ J, Maio 13'5 9-0 5-58 



„ $, Santiago 13-9 9-15 6-2 



„ 5, Maio 13-2* 8-95 6-86 



* Measured in the flesh. 



In colouring and dimensions the eggs correspond with 

 those of Fnlco cenchris. I have two clutches of seven eggs 



