FALCO PDNirUS 129 



Even until comparatively recent times, among the Arabs of North- 

 west Africa the Peregrine, with one or two other species of Falcon 

 used by them for hawking, was similarly highly prized and most 

 jealously pi'otected, but of late years, since the introduction of 

 fire-arms among the Arab tribes, the " noble science " has been 

 more or less abandoned by them. 



The present species frequents mountainous country as a rule, and 

 may often be found in the neighbourhood of the sea-coast, where 

 it preys on the water-fowl and rock-pigeons usually abundant in 

 such localities. It also feeds on other birds as well, and on small 

 mammals. 



FALCO PUNICUS, LevaiUant, jun. 

 LESSEE PEKEGRINE. 



F&lco T^nnicus, Levaill. jr. Expl.Alg. Atlas, 0/s. pi. 1 (1850) ; Malherbe, 

 Famie Orn. de I'Alg. p. 6 (1855). 



Description.— kdnlt male, from Sicily. 



Entire crown, nape, moustachial patch, shoulder and upper wing-coverts 

 blackish-slate ; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts slate-grey, barred with 

 blackish-slate ; primaries dark brownish -slate ; secondaries slate -grey, 

 barred with dark slate : tail slate-grey, becoming darker towarks the tip, 

 and barred with blackish-slate; chin, throat and breast cream-colour, slightly 

 tinged towards the abdomen with light rufous ; abdomen, sides of body, 

 flanks and thigbs closely barred with blackish-slate. 



Total length 15 inches, wing 11-50, culmen 1-10, tarsus 1-90. 



Soft parts as in F. peregrinus. 



Observations. — 1 have no adult example ot this Falcon from Tunis. The 

 specimen above described is one of three in the Palermo University Museum, 

 all much alike in coloration and size. 



The present and the following species of Falcon are no doubt 

 closely related to F. peregrinus and are considered by many good 

 ornithologists as mere races or forms of that species. Whether the 

 relationship is sufficiently close to warrant the three Falcons being 

 connected specifically and merely separated subspecifically, I am not 

 prepared to say, our present knowledge regarding the two smaller 



9 VOL. 11. 



