550 FALCO 



Falco della Regina, Ital. ; Barbdki, Warwakwn, Greek. 



$ ad. (Cyclades). General colour dark slate-grey, tinged with brown 

 on the upper parts, rather clearer on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; 

 quills blackish brown, washed with slate ; tail slate-colour, the outer 

 feathers slightly barred with dull blackish ; under parts blackish grey, 

 tinged with rufous here and there, the thighs and under tail-coverts clear 

 dark slate-colour ; beak horn-blue, paler at the base ; cere pale greenish 

 yellow; legs pale lemon-yellow; iris brown. Culmen 0*75, wing 11'9, 

 tail 7 '5, tarsus 1-3 inch. Female dusky brown above, tinged with slate, 

 the nape tinged with rufous ; tail slate-grey, tipped with fulvous, and 

 thickly barred with rufous and dusky ; orbital region, lores, and mous- 

 tache black ; hind-cheeks and throat rich buff ; under parts buff, becoming 

 rufous on the abdomen, and striped with black ; thighs deep chestnut, 

 with black shaft-stripes ; legs and feet greenish yellow. Culmen 0'85, 

 wing 12'9, tail 7 '5, tarsus 1*4 inch. The young bird resembles the female, 

 but the feathers on the upper parts are margined with pale rufous ; cheeks, 

 under parts, and thighs pale rufous buff, the dark markings well defined. 



Hal. The islands in the Mediterranean, rarer on the south 

 shores of Europe; North-west and West Africa, south to 

 Madagascar; Palestine, Syria. 



Frequents rocky localities, and in general habits resembles 

 F. siibluteo. Its call-note is a not very loud keJc, JceJc, or wek, 

 wek, wek. On the wing it is swift and active, and is recognizable 

 by its long wings. It preys chiefly on small birds of various 

 kinds, but also on insects and reptiles. It makes no nest, but 

 deposits its eggs late in July or in August on the ledge of 

 a cliff or on the ground. These are 2 or 3 in number, and 

 resemble those of F. subbuteo, and measure about 1*68 by T32. 



771. RED-LEGGED FALCON. 

 FALCO VESPERTINUS. 



Falco vespertinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 129 (1766) ; Hewitson, i. p. 28, 

 pi. ix. figs. 2, 3 ; (Gould), B. of Gt. Brit. i. pi. 20 ; Newton, i. p. 69, 

 Dresser, vi. p. 93, pi. 382 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 443 ; 

 (Tacz.), F. 0. Sib. O. p. 90 ; Saunders, p. 353 ; Lilford, i. p. 45, 

 pi. 23 ; F. rufipes, Beseke, Vog. Kurl. p. 20, Taf. 3, 4 (1792) ; 

 Naum. i. p. 311, Taf. 28 ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 23. 



Faucon Jcobez, French; Falco cuculo, Ital.; Rotfussfalke 

 Germ. ; Rodfodfalk, Dan. ; Rodbent Folk, Swed. ; Punajalka- 

 haukka, Finn. ; Kdbtschik, Russ. ; Kirght, Tartar. 



$ ad. (Malta). Entire upper parts dark plumbeous, paler on the wing- 

 coverts ; quills silver-grey above, black below ; tail black ; under parts 



