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255. Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus peregrinus Tunstall. 



Falco feregrinus. Shelley, p. 186. 



Common from autumn to spring. I have no records of its 

 nesting in the country. 



Length about 19 inches. Bluish slate grey above, slightly 

 spotted with black ; crown of head darker, rump lighter ; tai] 

 banded with grey ; under parts creamy buff, streaked on 

 the throat and barred on the breast, abdomen, flanks, and 

 thighs with dull black. A well-marked wide beard-like patch 

 of black on each side of the chin. Young birds are duller and 

 browner in colouration. 



256. Eastern Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus calidus 



Latham. 

 Not mentioned by Shelley. 



Falco peregrinus calidus Lath. Hartert, "Vg. d. Pal." F., p. 1046. 



As far as is known at present, this falcon is a winter visitor 

 to Bgypt. 



It differs from the typical Peregrine in having the "beard" 

 narrower and more pointed. Females of the true falcons are 

 larger than the males. 



257. Lanner Falcon. Falco biarmicus tanypterus. 



Falco lanarius. Shelley, p. 188. 



Abundant and resident. Examples which breed annually 

 on the Giza pyramids are well known to all egg collectors who 

 visit Egypt, and many clutches of " peregrine falcons' " eggs, 

 in private collections, taken from these pyramids no doubt 

 " do duty " for " peregrines," which they certainly are not. 



Length about 19 inches. Crown creamy rufous ; upper 

 parts grey brown, the feathers slightly edged with buff ; . under 

 parts dull huffish white marked with black. 



258. Sacer Falcon. Falco cherrug Gray. 



Falco sacer. Shelley, p. 190. 



Not uncommon in Lower, Middle, and Upper Egypt during 

 the autumn and winter months. 



Length about 24 inches. Plumage very similar to that of 

 the lanner falcon, but rather darker on 'the upper parts. The 

 inner webs of the primaries are whiter and not so mottled as are 

 those of the lanner. The top of head is not clear rufous buff 

 as in the lanner, but whitish, heavily streaked with blackish 

 brown. The female is larger than the male, which is usually 

 the case with all falcons. 



