Vol. xlii.] 134 



Mr. KiRKE SwANN exhibited two Kestrels from Wad 

 Medine, Blue Nile, October 10-11, 1901, collected by 

 W. L. S. Loat, which he considered to be migrants from 

 Siberia, and made the following remarks : — 



Col. Meinertzhagen in the January no. of 'The Ibis ' has 

 made some interesting observations upon the Palsearctic 

 Kestrels, and comes to the conclusion that there are only 

 three races of Kestrels in Asia, viz., Cerclineis tinnuncvlus 

 tinnunculus, C. tinnunculus jaj^onicus, and C. tinnunculus 

 iriterstinctus. The Siberian race, which I named C. tinnun- 

 culus dorriesi he considers to be a synonym of C. tinnunculus 

 tinnunculus, thus making its range extend across Asia to the 

 Amur River. He gives the wing-measurements of three 

 European ^ ^ as 235-252 mm. and of three Siberian ^ ($ 

 as 219-258 mm., which agree with the larger wing-measure- 

 ment I claimed for Siberian birds. He has, however, 

 unfortunately overlooked the tail-measurements, an im- 

 portant character in the Siberian race. My average 

 wing-measurements for European birds are S S 239 and 

 ? $ 253 mm., while the tails vary from ^ 158 to 165 in 

 S 6 and 165 to 172 mm. in ? ^ . Mr. Witherby, who 

 disregards the Siberian race, gives the following measure- 

 ments of c? (J : wing 230 to 252 mm., tails 150 to 173 mm. 

 The measurements of the tails of skins from Siberia and 

 Indian winter birds, presumed to be from Siberia, are : S S 

 172 to 194, ? ? 178 to 200 mm. These measurements are 

 quite extraordinary as compared with tj^pical birds, and, 

 taken in conjunction with the longer wings and generally 

 paler coloration, prove, I think, that the Siberian race is 

 distinct from the typical or European form. The two 

 African winter birds I am showing measure respectively, 

 ^ wing 262, tail 184 mm., and ? wing 260, tail 178 mm. 

 The immature c? type of my Siberian form at Tring Museum 

 has a wing of 253 mm. and tail 172 mm., without allowing 

 for the wearing at the ends. The co-type in the British 

 Museum, an extremely pale ? bird, has the wing 264 and 



