48 



rence in Northern or Central Europe, except that M. Jules Vian says (Eev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, 

 p. 176) that he has examined a specimen obtained in the Netherlands in 1857, and now in the 

 Leiden Museum. Mr. A. B. Brooke states (Ibis, 1873, p. 151) that he obtained a pair in imma- 

 ture dress on the island of Vacca, in the Mediterranean ; but it appears to me quite possible the 

 species obtained by him was the Lesser Peregrine; and the bird recorded (Ibis, 1859, p. 159) as 

 shot in Malta by Colonel Drummond-Hay was doubtless this latter species. In Tangier and 

 Morocco the present species appears to be replaced, or neaidy so, by Falco minor ; but, according 

 to Mr. R. B. Sharpe, it has occurred on the Cape-Verd Islands; for he writes (Ibis, 1875, p. 254) 

 as follows : — " I examined an adult specimen of this Falcon, shot by M. A. Bouvier during his 

 expedition to the Cape-Verd Islands. He killed it in a lonely gorge in the mountains. A flock 

 of St. Jago Sparrows (Passer jagoensis) came suddenly in sight, the Falcon following in quick 

 pursuit." It appears to be tolerably common in Algeria, and was first described from Barbary. 

 Mr. Taczanowski speaks of it as being the commonest Falcon in Algeria, both in the mountains 

 and in the desert. Loche states that it is the favourite Falcon of the Arab sportsmen ; and 

 Canon Tristram, who shot one in December near the Mzab country, says that, besides the 

 trained birds, he occasionally saw it wild on rocky precipices. Mr. O. Salvin writes (Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 187) respecting the occurrence of the present species in the Atlas range as follows : — " My 

 own experience of this bird was entirely confined to the Eastern Atlas, where in some districts it 

 is by no means uncommon. I had many opportunities of watching the birds, and was present at 

 the siege of three of their eyries, besides discovering others which were inaccessible. The first 

 of these nests was in a hole in the eastern portion of the rock of Djebel Dekma. To this nest 

 for a long time Mahomed obstinately refused to ascend ; it was his first experience in rope- 

 climbing. Two dollars, however, produced the desired effect ; and after five hours' hard work, 

 during which we had to employ every available foot of cord, even to our tent-lines, we were 

 rewarded with three eggs. While the siege was going on, I shot one of the old birds. A few 

 feet from the nest of the Lammergeyer in Kaifan Msakta was another nest. From this we took 

 on the 9th of April four eggs just ready to hatch. The parent birds I watched for some time as 

 they flew anxiously round, but did not shoot one. On the 20th of April an Arab reported that 

 he had found a nest of ' Boumee ' in Kef Boudjalo, a rock situated no great distance from Kef 

 Laks. I immediately started to the spot, taking with me Mohamed, my gun, and ropes. A 

 successful siege was the result ; and I returned to the tents with three eggs and one of the 



parent birds The Barbary Falcon brought to England by us (mentioned above as now in 



Mr. Gurney's possession) was procured from a rock near the Marabout of Sidi Khalifa Cherif, on 

 the northern boundary of the extensive plain that holds the salt lake of Guerah el Tharf. Bil 

 Ghazoum, our interpreter, and Mohamed, our climber, took it and another from the same nest, 

 about the 8th of May. They had then almost assumed their feathers. Between these two birds 

 there subsisted a marked difference in size ; and the smaller of the two had, in addition to the 

 rufous marking at the back of the neck, a light-coloured reddish head. We kept them about 

 two months, during which time they came to their full feather, the same inequality in size 

 subsisting between the two. They were doubtless male and female. Unfortunately the male 

 died during the journey between Marseilles and Paris, and we had no means at hand for 

 preserving it. The female is now at Catton." 



