from Deelfontein, Cape Colony. 21 



and kill it on every occasion. It thrives well in captivity, 

 but it is a bird of sluggish habits.] 



36. Falco biarmicus. 



Falco toarmicus (Temm.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 391 

 (1874) ; id. ed. Layard, p. 58, pi. ii. (1875) ; id. Hand-1. B. 

 i. p. 274 (1899) ; Reichenow, t. c. p. 624 (1901). 



a. ? juv. Deelfontein, March 15, 1902. Bill dark slate- 

 coloured, tip and base lighter ; feet greenish yellow; iris dark 

 hazel ; orbital skin bluish yellow. 



b. 6 ad. Deelfontein, July 26, 1902. 



[These birds generally hunt in pairs, and when hovering 

 over an owl make a great noise, especially just after their 

 swoop. They feed chiefly on pigeons, and the young specimen 

 obtained was shot while chasing our tame White-necked 

 Ravens. They breed up in the kran f zes of very high kopjes, 

 but the nests that we met with were inaccessible.] 



37. Cerchneis rupicola. 



Cerchneis rupicola (Daud.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 429 

 (1874); id. ed. Layard, p. 62 (1875); id. Hand-1. B. i. 

 p. 277 (1899) ; Reichenow, t. c. p. 640 (1901). 



a, b. 6 $ ad. Deelfontein, Feb. 25-26, 1902. 



c. 6 juv. „ March 5, 1902. 



d. 6 juv. „ March 15, 1902. Bill light 

 slate-coloured, darker at tip ; feet, cere, and orbits bright 

 yellow ; iris dark hazel. 



e. $ ad. Deelfontein, May 28, 1902. 

 /. J ad. „ June 13, 1902. 

 g. 6 ad. „ Oct. 24, 1902. 



The changes of plumage in this Kestrel are very well 

 marked in the present series, where there are females which 

 resemble males in plumage, with blue-grey heads (like the 

 male) . 



It would seem, therefore, that Mr. Sowerby was right in 

 determining a specimen with a blue-grey head to be a female, 

 although it looks like a fully adult male [see my note on 

 the specimen, Ibis, 1898, p. 575]. On examining the series 

 in the British Museum, I find further confirmation of the 



