67 
is the geographical range of each, seems a question well worthy 
the investigation of naturalists travelling i in the Hast.” 
Though “much thus indicated as requiring investigation still 
remains uncertain, no doubts now exist as to the distinctness of 
Sacer and Lanarius, the former of which, if I have rightly identi- 
fied the bird* is fully double the weight of the latter. The 
identity of Cherrug and Sacer seems scarcely now to be ques- 
tioned, while the distinctness of Biarmicus and Cervicalis from 
Sacer and their identity with each other is, I believe, admitted. 
The plumage of our Indian Sacers, however, varies so much, that 
it would be well if a series of them could be compared with a 
series of the Abyssinian ones, of which unfortunately I have 
never seen a specimen or even a good figure. 
Mr. Blyth would place / Subniger, Gray, and probably he 
thinks / Hypoleucus, Gould, (both Australian species) in what 
he designates the Sakir and Lanner group, but Mr. Gurney 
differs from him on this point, and altogether demurs, (as [ 
think with excellent reason,) to uniting F#. Sacer and F. Lanarius 
in the same sub group. “ F Sacer,” he says, “ appears to me to 
be referable to a small distinct section of which the other 
members are F. Jugger and F. Polyagrus.” 
The cere in this species is narrower on the culmen than in 
either Peregrinus or Perigrinator. The “saqr” is feathered 
much further down the tarsus than is the Peregrine, and this 
latter again than the Shaheen. The white spots or oval bars 
on the inner webs of the saqr’s primaries, are larger than in any 
other Indian species, I think; occupying nearly the whole 
surface, the ovals running into each other, so that the central 
portions of the brown interspaces often disappear altogether. 
As a rule, the 2nd quills of F. Jugger, Peregrinus, Perigrinator 
and Babylonicus, are longest, and there isa notch on the inner 
web of the Ist primary only. In / Sacer, the notch is more 
obscure, but is present I have remarked usually, on both the 
Ist and 2nd primaries, while the 3rd quill is often subequal 
to the 2nd. 
M. Schlegel, quoted by Dr. Bree, says that the adult Sacer 
differs from all other Falcons ; its plumage, as in the young, is of 
more agreeable tints, and has not transverse bands either on the 
upper part of the body or on the under side. But Mr. Gurney, 
* Schlegel quoted by Bree, says, ‘‘ The Sacer of the falconers, is a bird of a 
figure rather Jess strong than the Lanner, and consequently it is intermediate 
in this respect between this species and the Gyr Falcon.” Now the bird that 
I have taken to be the Lanner is much Jess than the Sacer. Bree himself 
gives the lengths of males and females of each species as follows: #. Sacer, 
19 and 21 inches. 2 Lanarius 14 and 15 inches. 
