I920,] Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 509 



The lal)el is written in three different "hands." Firstly, 

 there is in one handwriting the scientific name Fatco sub- 

 huteo ; suhbuteo lias been crossed ont, and the specific name 

 cuvieri written in Mr. W. L. Sclater's handwriting : in a 

 third hand the locality, date, and collector's name thus : 

 "Durban, Natal, February 1891, T. D. Butler," and on 

 the reverse of the label in the same hand "To be mounted 

 for the JNIuseum.^' 



I have written to the Director, Dr. L. Peringuey, for 

 information as to the history of this specimen, and the 

 following is an extract from his reply : — 



" As to the place of origin of this skin, namely Durban, 

 I take it to be a correct record. Butler, of this Museum, 

 secured a few birds in Durban ; the correction in Sclater's 

 hand from Falco subbuteo into Falco cuvieri is probably due 

 to its submittal to either Gurne}' or to the British Museum. 

 You may rest assured that the bird was shot by Butler." 



In a second communication he writes : — " Your letter 

 to hand. The specimen of Falco I sent you is Butler's 

 skin, the name Falco subbuteo juv. on the label is Trinien's 

 (handwriting). The correction cuvieri is Sclater's. Butler 

 recognises his own bird, he shot it in 1891 and at the same 

 time a Coot that has not been identified as yet. There can 

 be no doubt about the locality and the shooter." 



• The above would go to show that the locality as given on 

 the label is correct, and this being so, F. cesaloti must be 

 added to the South African Avifauna, but only as a very 

 rare and probably accidental wanderer. 1 have not the 

 slightest doubt as to the correctness of my identification. 

 I have examined a juvenile of F. cuvieri, which is a much 

 darker and otherwise differently coloured bird, and has 

 besides much longer wings, and is, in fact, a true Hobby. 



I am, 



Yours faithfully, 



Roberts Heights, C. G. Finch-Davies 



Pi-etoria. (Lt. 1st S.A.M.K.). 



19 January, 1920. 



