60 



feathers with light-fulvous mai'gins, some of the scapulars and inner secondaries barred with light 

 reddish brown; quills dark brown on the outer webs and inner portion of the inner webs, with a few 

 faint traces of light bars ; the outer portion of the inner web buffy white, barred with dark brown ; tail 

 earth-brown, closely barred even on the central rectrices with buffy white; sides of head and neck 

 white, sparingly striped with dark brown, the moustachial stripe very faintly indicated ; chin, throat, 

 and breast white, a few blackish brown spots ; rest of the underparts white, striped, especially on the 

 flanks, with blackish brown ; bill bluish horn, lighter at the base ; cere and legs dull yellow ; iris dark 

 brown. Total length about 17 inches, culmen TO, wing 14"0, tail 8'0, tarsus 235. 



Adult Female (Sarepta, March). Closely resembles the male, but is larger, the crown is rather darker, and 

 the central rectrices are not barred, but have only spots on each web towards the end of the tail; 

 there are, however, slight traces of bars on some of the wing-coverts. Wing 15'7 inches, tail 9 - 7, 

 tarsus 2*53. 



Young Male (Volga) . Crown and nape warm buffy white, very closely striped with blackish brown, the fore 

 part of the crown showing very little light colour; upper parts much darker than in the adult, the 

 upper tail-coverts with broad dull rufous and buffy white margins, the feathers on the rest of the 

 upper parts with dull fulvous margins ; central rectrices without bars or spots, but, like the rest of the 

 tail, tipped with white ; rest of the tail not barred, but with oval spots, which form indistinct bands ; 

 chin white; moustachial stripe clearly defined; underparts generally buffy white, very closely and 

 broadly striped with blackish brown, these stripes on the breast and flanks almost hiding the buffy 

 white colour; cere and legs pale blue-grey; iris deep brown. 



Common in Eastern and South-eastern Europe, the Saker is rarer in the western portion of this 

 continent, and is only a rare straggler in the northern and central portions. It is also found in 

 Northern Africa, and in Asia as far east as China. 



It has not been met with in Great Britain ; but one occurrence has been recorded in 

 Sweden, an example having been driven against the cathedral at Lund in a snowstorm prior 

 to 1810. Von Wright includes it in his work on the birds of Finland, without, however, 

 giving any instance of a specimen having been obtained ; but it is common in many parts of 

 Russia. Sabanaeff states that he met with it in the Ural and on the steppes, but it is rarer 

 there than the Peregrine. In the districts of Kameshloff and Schadrinsk this species alone 

 occurs. It is common in the Government of Tula ; and, according to Daniloff, it is said 

 probably to breed in the Government of Orloff. Severtzoff records it as observed annually 

 during migration in the Government of Voronege ; Bogdanoff states that it breeds in the 

 valley of the Sura; Kessler remarks that it also breeds in the Government of Podolsk; and 

 Artzibascheff writes that it is common in the groves on the islands of the Volga. Mr. Tacza- 

 nowski informs me that it is of frequent occurrence in the Ukraine and Podolia. It is but a 

 very rare straggler to North Germany; and I do not find any record of its occurrence in France 

 or Portugal : but it may probably be found in Spain ; for Lord Lilford writes to me as follows : — 

 " I cannot speak positively as to ever having met with the Saker in a wild state, though I saw 

 a Falcon on one occasion in Andalucia which I have no doubt whatever belonged to this species. 

 There is, or was, a specimen in the museum of Cagliari which was killed in the island of Sardinia, 

 this is the westernmost occurrence of this Falcon in Europe with which 1 am acquainted. I have 



