078 Stafi'-Sur'reou K. II. Jones (in Birds 



' & 



The Chinese esteem this species higlily for hawking^ and 

 with it kill a good deal of game in certain places. 



About the last week of September, and particularly at 

 North-East Promontory, Peregrine Falcons occur in veiy 

 large numbers and a dozen may be seen at one time on the 

 wing there. They find abundant quarry among the other 

 migrants and seem particularly fond of ducks. 



These Peregrines are not at all shy, and at Slii Tao, in 

 October, one settled in the rigging of H.M.S. ^Waterwitch,' 

 whence it made repeated dashes at the Gulls flying round 

 the ship. 



Falco subbuteo. 



The Hobby was only once obtained — near the North-East 

 Promontory, on September 23rd. This bird was evidently 

 on migration : its stomach was full of the elytra and other 

 chitinous parts of various Coleoptera. It was an adult 

 female, and in beautiful condition. 



Falco amurensis. 



The Eastern Red-footed Falcon was, during the summer, by 

 far the commonest Hawk met Avith in the Shantung Peninsula. 



This species loves the sandy wastes Avhich border the Gulf 

 of Pechili and the Yellow Sea in so many places, and there 

 it finds abundance of the grasshoppers and sand-lizards on 

 which it chiefly preys, the birds' crops often containing 

 immense quantities. 



This bird is very Kestrel-like in its habits, and hovers when 

 about to mcike a stoop in exactly the same way as Falco 

 iinnunculus, while its cry is very similar. 



The Chinese, who are, about Wei Ilai Wei, great sports- 

 men, not infrequently train the birds for hawking, and fly 

 them at Sparrows and other small game. 



The nest of this species is always, apparently, placed in a 

 tree and is never, like that of the Kestrel, situated in rocks. 

 There is no doubt, however, that in the majority of cases 

 this bird makes use of a deserted INIagpie's nest in which to 

 lay its eggs, and, indeed, the Chinese assert that it always 

 does so. 



