420 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
one strike a Sand-grouse near Sheik Saad, but it had to give up its prey to a 
Steppe Eagle. All except one from Ahwaz belong to the typical race. 
(1) Specimens examined @, Amara, 1-12-18 (P. A. B.); 9, Baghdad, 
26-12-17 (Ingoldby) ; 2, Samarra, 30-11-18 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). 
(2) @, Ahwaz, 12-2-18 (F. M. B.). 
162. Hobby. Falco subbuteo. 
Falco subbuteo subbuteo, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed. x, 1, p. 89, 1758—Sweden). 
A fairly common passage migrant arriving in the last week of April and passing 
on by the middle of May ; it reappears in the first week of October and has gone 
further south by the end of the month. It is partial to the date groves. Pitman 
thinks he saw this species at Museyib in June and July and thought it might 
breed there ; further evidence on this however is required. 
Three specimens examined : ¢, Amara, 1-5-18 (P. A. B.) ; 9, Azizieh, 16-10-18 
(P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); 9, Amara, 18-4-17 (L. Home). 
These match European specimens inthe colour of the upper parts ; wing 
&; 256. Y, 280 mm. ; European birds vary a good deal in the depth of colour 
of the mantle and in length of wing. Buturlin’s race centralasie from Tian-shan 
wants further examination ; it seems a little doubtful. 
163. Merlin Falco esalon. 
1. Falco esalon pallidus (Suschk.) (Bull. B. O. C. 11, p. 5, 1900—W. 
Kirghis steppes). 
2. Falco esalon insignis, Clark. (Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 32, p. 470, 
1907—Fusan in Korea). 
The Metlin, of which two races occur in Mesopotamia, is a winter visitor in 
small numbers ; the earliest date of arrival is September 24th and the last date 
May 5th. It is distributed throughout our area hunting in open spaces, parti- 
cularly crops, for Crested Larks and such small birds. 
Three skins examined : (1) 2, Amara, 23-1-18 (P..A. B.); @ Amara, 13-3-19 
(Aldworth). 
These two belong to the very pale form pallidus, the adult of this race is a most 
beautiful pale blue grey above, shades paler than the west European form ; the 
young are also a much paler rufous brown. 
Wings, 207. 9 231 mm. 
(2) Khamiseyah, 25-11-16 (Aldworth). 
This is not as pale as pallidus and yet it is paler than the west European bird, 
and matches well examples of insignis from Turkestan and China. Wing 204 mm. 
164. Lesser Kestrel. Falco naumanni. 
Falco naumanni naumanni, Fleischer (Sylvan, 1818, p. 174—S. Germany). 
Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant ; Buxton says it passes. 
through Amara during the last three weeks of April ; Pitman at Feluja noted 
flocks passing over at intervals from April 8th, twenty to thirty birds in a flock ; 
while on May 5th he saw numbers of what he thought were this species nesting 
in an elevated ruin 10 miles south of Feluja. Weigold records it asa very common 
and breeding at Urfa, and Sassi notes it at Mosul on May 2nd. There are no 
autumn records, except at Baghdad in the first 10 days of October. 
Seven specimens examined: @@, Amara, 23-4-18 ; Baghdad, @, 11-10-17 
(P. A. B.) ; Feluja, 9, 8-4-17; 9. 9-4-17 (two) ¢, 16-4-17 (C. R. P.). 
165. Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus. 
Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed. x., 1, p. 90, 1758— 
Sweden). 
As far as can be ascertained the Kesrrel is resident in Mesopotamia, breeding 
at all events from Mosul south to the Babylon district, and in the Karun foothills, 
spreading out in winter over the rest of the country and perhaps augmented by 
