190 FALCONID^E. 



Young. Head whitish ; upper parts brown, marked with white ; below 

 white, streaked with brown. 



A dark or melanistic form also occurs, in which the underparts are 

 uniform brown, the young birds being striated with blackish brown. 



Length 22-25 inches. 



199. Elanus cseruleus (Desfontaines). Black-shouldered Hawk. 

 Moorish. Aislia hemika (Favier). 



" Scarce in the vicinity of Tangier, being seldom seen and 

 then in very limited numbers, in February and March and again 

 during September and October. They are more common near 

 Larache, where some are found breeding in April. They live on 

 birds and small mammals, and are very voracious. Their cry is 

 a sort of whistle." Favier. 



On the African side of the Straits we found the Black-winged 

 Hawk common near Tetuan in April, as well as about Cape 

 Negro ; near Tangier at that time we only saw two. They nest 

 on trees, and (as in other countries in which I have seen them) 

 keep to slightly wooded places, not frequenting open ground. 



Meade-Waldo says they fly when it is nearly quite dark. 



On the Spanish side this Hawk is very .rare. I never obtained 

 one ; but Lord Lilford records a specimen (* Ibis,' 1865, p. 177) 

 as occurring near Seville. Easily recognized on the wing by its 

 greyish-white colour ; it has a peculiar habit of hovering at about 

 thirty yards from the ground, with the wings forming a sort of 

 V or acute angle with the body, never bringing them level with 

 one another until it flies off" to take up a fresh position. They 

 are rather wary when thus engaged in hunting for their prey. 



Lores feathered. 



General colour above ash-grey. Below and axillaries white ; black 

 patch on shoulders; iris crimson. Length 13 inches. 



200. Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. The Peregrine Falcon. 

 Moorish. Teir el hor. Spanish. Alcon. 



" Is not uncommon near Tangier, where some remain to breed ; 



