170 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



213 ins. (54 mm.). The bird is a male, and was shot on the 9th of 

 November 1848. No old bird of this species has yet been seen or 

 shot on the island. 



The breeding range of this Falcon extends from Northern 

 Scandinavia, through Northern Asia, as far as Arctic America. 



3. The Saker [SAKKEEFALKE]. 

 FALCO SACER, Linn. 1 



Falco lanarius. Naumann, i. 279, xiii. 98. 



Saker. Dresser, vi. 59. 



Faucon sacre. Schlegel, Krit. d. Eur. Vogel, ii. and 9. 



In the year 1839 or 1840, Reymers possessed one of the larger 

 Falcons, which he at that time described as a Lanner. It was an 

 old bird, for it had, while still fresh, light yellow talons, but the sides 

 of the breast and flanks were not spotted nor barred, but had dark 

 stripes on a light buff-coloured ground ; the head, too, was largely 

 rust-coloured. When at a later date I had an opportunity of exam- 

 ining skins of Falco sacer, I became convinced that Reymers' bird 

 belonged to this species. So far as I know, this beautiful bird fell 

 into the hands of Brandt of Hamburg, who at that time was buying 

 up almost every beautiful and interesting example that was killed on 

 this island. Since that time the bird has not been seen again in 

 Heligoland, although in the course of years very many species, some 

 of them represented by numerous individuals, which have the same 

 home as this species, viz. south-eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and 

 Palestine have been observed and frequently shot on the island. 

 Unfortunately at that time I had not commenced collecting. 



4. The Lanner [LANNERFALKE]. 

 FALCO TANYPTERUS, Lichtenstein. 2 



Lanner. ' Dresser, vi. 5 1 (?). 



Faucon lanier. Schlegel, Krit. d. Eur. Vogel, ii. and 1 1 (?). 



In the summer of 1840 a local bird-stuffer was exhibiting in his 

 shop one of the larger species of Noble Falcons. My ornithological 

 acquirements being at that time very limited, I considered the 

 bird, on account of the bars on its flanks, to be an old Peregrine, 

 and intended to buy it as such ; the owner, however, remarked to 

 me that it was not an old bird, as was proved by its back, which 

 was brown, whereas in old Peregrines it is of a beautiful blue colour, 

 and to my subsequent regret I withdrew from the purchase. On 



1 Falco sacer, Gmel. 2 Falco feldeggi, Schlegel. 



