61 



had several of this species in captivity, and found them very hardy birds, supporting our English 

 climate well. A fine adult female Saker, which I bought in Paris in 1862, lived with me at 

 Lilford in good health for eight years without any special care ; this individual was said to have 

 been sent from Persia ; I have also received this Falcon from Northern Syria." I may remark 

 that Mr. A. B. Brooke has also examined the specimen in the Cagliari Museum, which was killed 

 on the banks of the " stagno " of St. Gilla in February 1842 ; and Cara, who obtained it, mentions 

 having received two other specimens. 



In Southern Germany it becomes less rare, and has bred in Bohemia. Dr. Fritsch writes 

 (J. f. O. 1871, p. 179) that "in 1842 Voboril found this Falcon breeding on the high rocks of 

 the Moldau, in the neighbourhood of Moran, Letek, and Vetrusic (between the railway-stations 

 of Roztok and Libsic, north of Prague). He took the eggs and killed the old birds ; and a series 

 of seven examples in all plumages forms a conspicuous part of his collection. Voboril gives a 

 full account of this occurrence in ' Rhea,' which article is transcribed by Palliardi in his 

 ' Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Bohmens.' Since the railway has been built through the 

 valley of the Moldau, Falco sacer has left this locality. It is said to have occurred in 1850 on 

 the rocks near Kost, not far from Munchengratz. Palliardi is in error in saying that this bird 

 occurs almost every year in autumn and spring as a migrant near Fraucnberg ; for I convinced 

 myself that the specimens in the museum at Fraucnberg labelled Falco sacer are notbing else 

 but young individuals of Falco peregrinus. An old gamekeeper, who knows the bird perfectly 

 well from the time of Voboril, asserts he observed this bird again last year near Moran." 



There are several Austrian-killed specimens in the museum at Vienna; and Messrs. Dan ford 

 and Harvie-Brown write (Ibis, 1875, p. 291) that it " is very rare in Transylvania. Bieltz 

 mentions Falco lanarius, L., as occurring; but from his description we think it is undoubtedly 

 Falco sacer (vera) that is meant. Herr von Pelzeln has informed Danford that he considers it 

 much more likely that Falco sacer occurs in Transylvania than Falco lanarius. Both species 

 have occurred, however, on the Theiss (Zelebor)." It appears to be common on the Lower 

 Danube, where I have seen it on several occasions. Mr; Farman, to whom I am indebted for 

 specimens of this Falcon and of its eggs, writes respecting its presence in Bulgaria (Ibis, 1868, 

 p. 409): — "This noble Falcon, although not so plentiful as some others of its tribe, is in this 

 country by no means a very rare bird. From April to October it is pretty generally to be met 

 with on the barren wastes which stretch from Hasique to Kushetchen. AVhether it remains here 

 during the winter is a question about which I am not absolutely decided ; but I am inclined to 

 think it does. Some specimens I certainly have seen during the depth of winter ; but they seem 

 scarcer during the severe cold which freezes the mighty Danube. 



"In the spring of 1865 my friend Mr. Robert Barkley, when residing at Shitangick, in 

 charge of the railway-works in that district, obtained a pair of young Sakers from a nest situated 

 on a tree about a quarter of a mile from the railway-works at Shitangick. He kept these birds 

 in confinement for several months, and they appeared to thrive ; but, if I recollect rightly, they 

 ultimately succumbed to the carelessness of native servants." 



Mr. Goebel, who speaks of it as being common on passage in the Uman district, in Southern 

 Russia, found it also breeding there, and adds that it is by no means a shy bird. In Asia Minor 



