2740 The Zoologist — September, 1871. 



time. I fancy that the two species interbreed, or that there is an inter- 

 mediate race, as on the 16th May I took a white-clawed female off her nest 

 in the Cathedral of Seville, whose eggs were typical eggs of T. alaudarius, of 

 the largest description, quite unlike any that I liave ever seen of F.cenchris, 

 which, moreover, had scarcely begun to lay, whereas these eggs were very 

 much incubated. In length of wing and other dimensions this female is 

 decidedly larger than the female F. cenchris, and is barely, if any, smaller 

 than average F. tinnunculus (female) from other localities. I may add that 

 in many birds resident in Spain there is a tendency to run smaller in size 

 and brighter in colour than more northern specimens.' 



" Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake considers it to be a very common bird in Tangier 

 and Eastern Morocco ; and it is found in Tripoli, as recorded by the late 

 Mr. W. T. H. Chambers. In Algeria, Loche says it is plentiful; and 

 Mr. Salvin states that it is very abundant throughout the Eastern Atlas. 



" In the Sahara, Dr. Tristram observes : — 



" ' The kestrel resorts to every part of the country, except the plains. In 

 the oases he preys upon the palm-rat, which nestles in the crown of the 

 date-trees, or he pursues the large beetles at dusk through the gardens. In 

 the ravines he finds abundance of marmots (gundi) ; and in the dayats I 

 have often watched him pouncing upon the jerboas as they leave their holes.' 



" In South-eastern Europe the present species is everywhere distributed. 

 Lindermayer says it is a resident in Greece, but much less numerous in the 

 winter. Lord Lilford, however, found it not common in Epirus and Corfu 

 during his residence in those countries. 



" Mr. C. Farman says : — 



" ' Thoughout the wliole country lying between the Black Sea and the 

 Danube the kestrel is abundant, and is in fact the commonest of all the birds 

 of prey. It seems to have no partiality for any particular spot, it being 

 equally abundant on the shores of the two lakes of Devna, the Pravidy 

 valley, the moorlands about Shitaugick, and the forest country to the etist 

 of Rodgrad.' 



" Respecting the occurrence and habits of this bird in Turkey, Mr. T. 

 Robson writes us as follows : — 



" ' This species is numerous in Turkey in Europe and in Asia Minor, 

 and particularly so during the spring and autumn migrations. In spring 

 they arrive and pass in small flocks, and during the winter are not so 

 numerous as at other seasons of the year. During the summer they are 

 widely distributed throughout Turkey, and are partial to towers, aqueducts, 

 and large reservoirs for nesting-places ; but they also build in holes in the 

 walls of houses in villages and populous towns, as also under the eaves of 

 farm-buildings in the country. The cup-shaped base of the large branches 

 of the oriental plane-trees often also affords them a secure and unnoticed 

 nesting-place. 



