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Northern Africa, says it is " migratory in the desert, halting in the Dayats, apparently on its 

 passage south." 



Loche observes : — 



" The Hobby, which the Arabs, together with all the small Hawks, call el 'Aram, is met 

 with in larger numbers in all three provinces of Algeria than the preceding species (F. eleonorce 

 and F. concolor), with which it is often confounded, sex, age, and season of the year causing 

 great variation in its plumage." 



Dr. C. Bolle says the Hobby is " found here and there on all the Canary Islands, but is rare. 

 It is probable that it prefers the two most eastern islands, as on these are Skylarks, which form 

 its favourite prey." 



In Malta, Mr. C. A. Wright states that it is " not uncommon in spring and autumn. As is 

 the case with nearly all the birds of passage, the Hobby is much scarcer in some years than in 

 others. In the autumn of 1862 I could not obtain a single specimen." 



Count Salvadori records it from Sardinia as a bird of passage, and, with regard to its occur- 

 rence in Italy, writes to us as follows : — 



" This bird is rather common in Italy during the migration-season, both in spring and 

 autumn. A few are also to be found in winter ; and it is probable that some couples breed here ; 

 but I have not been able to ascertain this fact personally." 



In Sicily Professor Doderlein, of Palermo, states that it is very common on the vernal 

 migration, though somewhat less so in autumn ; a few pass the winter in the wooded district of 

 the centre of the island. 



" The Hobby," says Lord Lilford, " is common in Corfu in spring and autumn. I have an 

 immature specimen which was shot by an officer of the 3rd Buffs on the roof of Fort-Neuf 

 barracks, at Corfu, in April 1867. I saw a Hobby near Cettinje, the chief town of Montenegro, 

 in August 1857." 



Lindermayer, in his ' Vogel Griechenlands,' observes : — 



" Although this beautiful Falcon is to be seen throughout all the year, both on the mainland 

 and on the islands, I have found it commoner in spring and summer in Northern Greece, evidently 

 migrating from the south to the north to breed in the peaceful forests of that region. I have 

 observed that it is never seen in such large numbers in the autumn as in the spring, and believe 

 that this arises from many old birds taking with their broods another road to their winter-quarters 

 than the one by which they had come in the spring." 



In Crete the Hobby is believed not to occur, as, according to Colonel Drummond-Hay, its 

 place is here taken by F. eleonorce. It is certain that it is not a common bird in Egypt, neither 

 Captain Shelley nor Mr. E. Cavendish Taylor having ever met with the bird in this country. 

 Dr. von Heuglin writes as follows : — " Occurs rarely, and only as a straggler during the winter, 

 in Egypt. Brehm speaks of one shot in April 1849 near Damietta. I shot one in January 1856 

 near Cairo, and again early in June 1852 in a mimosa wood near Siut. In August 1852, near 

 Donguolah, I saw a Falcon fly past me, which was undoubtedly a Hobby. Brehm's Falco 

 gracilis in the Berlin Museum, killed on the Blue Nile, is also nothing but Falco subbuteo." In 

 Palestine Dr. Tristram says it is only a " summer visitant, and rather late in its return ; confined, 

 so far as we observed, to the wooded districts, and resorting to the olive-yards and open glades." 



