53 
possibly, somewhat darker on the inner webs. Inner webs of 
the quills with numerous long oval patches, or incomplete trans- 
verse bars, of whiter greyish, or rufous white. Chin, throat, 
upper breast, and a patch over the terminal half of the ear- 
coverts, beside or behind the dark ear-patch, white with a buffy, 
or even pinkish tinge, some few of the feathers having a trace 
of linear, dark brown, central stripes. Lower breast, and middle of 
abdomen, still more rufous, each feather having a conspicuous 
subterminal transverse spot of dark brown, smaller on the upper, 
larger on the lower feathers. The whole of the lining of the 
wing, axillaries, sides, flanks, sides and lower part of abdomen, 
thigh coverts, and lower tail coverts, white, conspicuouly barred 
with dark brown, the bars being most numerous, and marked on 
the axillaries and sides, and least conspicuous, on the lower tail, 
and thigh coverts. 
Dr. Jerdon, I may here note, informs me, that he cannot help 
suspecting, that specimens shot on the eastern sea coast, are 
larger, than those procured in the North West. It would be 
interesting to obtain accurate measurements in the flesh, of nu- 
merous specimens, from both localities. 
Tyros continually complain, that they are unable, from Dr. 
Jerdon’s descriptions, to discriminate our various species of 
Indian falcons; I must confess that I think his descrip- 
tions clear enough; but I will note a few points, by which, 
independent of any detailed description, the five species may be 
generally distinguished. 
First, the Sacer so far exceeds all the others in size, that this 
alone would be sufficient to identify it. The wings average 
from 15 to 16 inches,* against 14:0 in / Jugger, and £. 
Peregrinus, and 13:0 in Perigrinator and Babylonicus. ‘Then, 
while the central tail feathers of Peregrinus, Perigrinator, 
and Baby/onicus are all barred, (in different degrees according to 
age) and those of Jugger are unbarred, those of Sacer, in most of 
the specimens I have seen, are marked with rowndisht spots, (more 
* These dimensions differ somewhat from Dr. Jerdon’s, I am aware he is 
not likely to be wrong, dwt this much I can say, that mine are taken from 
numerous specimens in the flesh, and have all been most carefully recorded. 
+ Dr. Bree figures the Sacer with bars, but gives in his specific characters, 
“spots white, ovoid and round on the tail.” Of more than a dozen specimens 
that J have, or have seen, not one had the central feathers barred, all but one, 
had round, or ovoidal spots on each web of the central feathers. That one, 
a very young bird, had the central tail feathers, just like Jugger, unspotted 
and unbarred. Is this really a young Sacer ¥ I think there is no doubt that 
our Falcons want re-examining. I allow what I have above written to stand, 
but I have since had reason to believe, that instead of five true Falcons, we have 
eight in India, and that it will be necessary, carefully to re-write the diserimi- 
