52 



Young Male (Tangier). Crown much paler and more marked with blackish brown than in the adult; upper 

 parts generally dull dark sandy brown, the feathers with lighter margins but without any transverse 

 bands, except on one or two new feathers on the rump ; central tail-feathers unbarred, and the lateral 

 ones with only imperfect buffy bands; chin and throat white; the moustache rather broader than in 

 the adult; rest of the underparts white broadly striped with dark dull brown; legs dull lead-colour 

 with a yellowish tinge. Wing 11 '6, tail 6'8, tarsus 2'0. 



This Falcon inhabits North Africa, and is only of somewhat rare occurrence in Southern Europe. 

 In Asia it is replaced by Falco babylonicus, not appearing to range further east than Asia Minor. 

 It does not seem to have been met with in North Germany, Holland, or France. Schlegel 

 certainly states that there is a specimen in the Mayence Museum, obtained in Germany ; but, 

 according to Borggreve (J. f. O. 1872, p, 333), the specimen in question is nothing but a young 

 Peregrine. It is found in Spain, and breeds there. Colonel Irby states (Orn. Str. Gibr. p. 51) 

 that it has been found nesting near Seville ; and I am indebted to Lord Lilford for the following 

 notes respecting its occurrence in Southern Europe : — " I know but very little of this Falcon in 

 a wild state, having only met with it once in Andalucia, wdience I have since received skins, 

 eggs, and young birds alive — and again in the island of Standia, off the north coast of Crete, 

 where a pair were evidently breeding in April 1875. From the accounts of all modern observers 

 the Lanner is a rock-breeding species ; but the old falconry books speak of it as breeding com- 

 monly on trees in the south of France ; and in Andalucia the eggs above mentioned were laid 

 in old nests of other raptorial birds, in fir trees. I received the skin of an old female, and two 

 eggs, from a nest off which Lieut. -Colonel Irby had shot a common Buzzard in a previous year ; 

 this was not far from the Palacio del Rey, on Lomo del Grullo, in the Coto del Rey. We could 

 not discover the exact site of the nest in the island of Standia above mentioned ; but it was on 

 the south side of the island, to the eastward of the easternmost bay or harbour. I had one long 

 and ineffectual shot at one of the old birds as it was in pursuit of a Rock-Dove ; but we observed 

 them constantly during our three days' stay at this most barren and rocky of islets, and saw them 

 fiercely attack and drive off a Harrier and a Serpent-Eagle. I have received many Lanners alive 

 from Mogador, and noticed a very great variety of plumage amongst them, some of the young 

 birds being of a general colouring much darker than that of an average Peregrine of the same 

 age, with very deep-rufous markings on the nape, whilst others were of a light-rusty plumage, 

 resembling that of F. sacer, with the nape-markings of a pale buff colour : these Mogador birds 

 also varied greatly in size. I have found the Lanner in captivity very docile and tamable, but 

 delicate of constitution, and requiring great care ; and I do not think highly of their courage or 

 value from a falconer's point of view, though there is no doubt that the old falconers took many 

 birds, especially young wildfowl, by means of this species." 



So far as I can ascertain, the present species is not met with in Southern France, unless 

 perhaps as an occasional straggler ; and it is of extremely rare occurrence in Italy. Count Salva- 

 dori states that a female in his collection was obtained in the market of Rome in the winter of 

 1852-53, this being, he adds, the only specimen he knows of as having been killed in Italy. 

 MM. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye cite Malta as a locality where this Falcon is to be 

 met with, but give no authority ; and Mr. C. A. Wright never met with it there. 



It is not included by Dr. Kriiper in his list of the birds of Greece ; but it is not improbable 



