FALCONIN^E. 25 



one of its nearly allied races, and hence perhaps the origin of 

 tlie Indian name. 



9. Falco peregrinator, Sundevall. 



Bltth, Cat. N"©. 65 — HoRsr., Cat. 20 — Gould, Birds of Asia, 

 pi. 36 — F. Shaheen, Jerd., Cat. 29, and Jerd., 111. Ind. Orn., 

 pi. 12 and 28 — F. Sultaneus, Hodgson — Shaliin^ i. e. the Royal 

 bird (the female), Kohi or Koela (the male) Ilind. — Jaioolum, 

 Tel. — Wallur, Tarn. 



The Shahin Falcon. 



Descr.- — Young bird with the uj)per parts and cheek stripe very 

 dark cinereous, or dusky blackish, darkest on the head, hind neck 

 and cheek stripe, most of the feathers narrowly edged with rufous, 

 those of the back and rump more broadly so ; occasionally the 

 forehead is somewhat rufous, and there is always a patch on the 

 nape, where it forms a sort of crucial mark ; tail paler than the 

 rest of the body, faintly barred with rufous, and tipped with the 

 same; chin and throat pale rufous yellow, almost white in some 

 birds, and unspotted ; checks the same, with narrow dark stripes ; 

 the rest of the body beneath bright rufous or chestnut, with longi- 

 tudinal dark brown stripes on the lower breast and the middle of 

 the abdomen, oblong spots on the sides, and arrow-shaped mark- 

 ings on the lower abdomen, vent, and under-tail coverts : under- 

 wing coverts rufous with dark brown bars ; the quills barred with 

 rufous on their inner webs. 



The old bird has the head, nape, and cheek stripe almost black, 

 back and upper parts slaty, light on the rump, and almost without 

 any markings ; chin, throat, and upper breast white ; the rest of 

 tlie plumage beneath rufous or chestnut, almost unspotted. 



The changes of plumage from the young bird consist in the head 

 gradually becoming darker, the back (and the rump more especi- 

 ally) becoming Kghter, and more slaty blue, and in the markings of 

 the lower surface gradually disappearing from the crop downwards, 

 ■\^'ith each successive moult. Individuals vary a good deal in the 

 amount of white on the chin and throat, and in its intensity; in 

 some it is well marked, in otlicrs always a creamy or rufous white. 



D 



