290 



JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL msr. SOCLETY, Vol. XXVLI. 



The Laggar buUds, on trees, in clifEs [or on ruined 

 buildings, from January to March and lays usually 

 four eggs, reddish or brownish, speckled or spotted 

 all over with a darker and richer shade of the same, and 

 measure about 2"01 by 1*57. 



N.B. — -Whatever the age or the plumage of any 

 individual, and there is a great difference between the 

 young and the adult, the central tail feathers in the 

 Laggar Falcon are always plain brown, unbarred or 

 unspotted, and this factor is worthy of careful con- 

 sideration when in doubt. 



Genus FAico. 

 No. 1258. Falco chernig. The Saker or Cherrug Falcon. 



Characteristics. 



Colouration. 



Size medium, length of a female about 22" and of 

 a male about 20. 1st primary subequal to .3rd or 

 t:horter, no cheek stripe, middle tail feathers usual- 

 ly brown with white spots on each web ; adults not 

 banded above. 



" Adult. Crown and nape white (the crown some- 

 times pale rufous) with black shaft-stripes, which are 

 broader on the nape ; lores and sides of head white, 

 with scattered dark streaks ; no cheek stripe from the 

 eye, but sometimes a broken moustachial stripe from 

 the gape ; ear-coverts brown, streaked darker ; upper 

 parts brown throughout, the feathers with rufous or 

 tawny margins, and frequently a few rufous spots 

 forming imperfect bars on the scapulars and larger 

 wing-coverts ; quills brown, paler beneath ; primaries 

 broadly barred with white on the inner webs, the bars 

 widening and generally coalescing towards the inner 

 boarder ; secondaries with smaller white markings 

 or with white sjots, or uniformly coloured brown ; tail 

 feathers brown, with a whitish tip, generally with round 

 or oval white spots on both webs, but occasionally 

 the middle feathers are unspotted (as in F. jugger) 

 and sometimes the spots become on the outer rectrices 

 imperfect bands, interrupted at the shafts ; lower parts 

 white, with large elongate brown spots on the breast 

 and abdomen and larger spots on the flanks and thigh 

 coverts ; with age the spots grow smaller, rounder, 

 and more scattered, especially on the breast 



" Young birds do not differ greatly from old except 

 that the brown spots on the lower plumage are much 

 more developed, and cover the greater part of the 

 breast and abdomen ; the head, too, is sometimes 

 brown, and a moustachial stripe is usually well marked; 

 the middle tail feathers are often unspotted at first. 



" Bill pearly white, tipped black ; cere, legs and feet 

 dull yellow in old birds, greyish green in the young ; 

 irides dark brown, or brownish yellow or yellow." 

 (Blanford). 



N.B. — I have examined very many birds but 

 cannot remember ever having seen one with eyes ap- 

 proaching yellow. 



