FALCO. 151 



Distribution in the British Islands. — A Besident, breeding 

 in Wales, the northern counties of England, and throughout 

 Scotland to the Shetland?, also in Ireland. It is reported 

 to have bred on Exmoor, Somerset, in May 1907. In 

 autumn and winter it is generally distributed, its numbers 

 being augmented in September and October by visitors 

 from the Continent. 



General Distribution. — The Merlin breeds in Iceland, the 

 Faeroe?, and from Scandinavia southwards to the Pyrenees^ 

 thence across the alpine districts of central Europe and 

 northern and central Asia to Ussuri-land. In winter it 

 visits the Mediterranean basin, northern Africa as far south 

 as Nubia and Abyssinia, northern India, and southern China. 

 The Asiatic birds have been divided into three races. It is 

 represented in America by F, columbariuSi 



Falco vespertinus. Rrd-fooi'ed Falcon. 



Falco vespertinus Linnwus, Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i. 1766, 

 p. 129 : Ingria ( = St. Petersburg). 



Cerchneis vespertina {Linn.) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. i. 1874, 



p. 443. 

 Tinnunculus vespertinus B. 0. U. List, 1st ed. 1883, pi 103. 

 Falco vespertinus Saunders, Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 358. 



Vespertinus =oi the evening, vesper, because this species was described to 

 LirinEeus by G. de Dtoidoff as " flying about in the evening and at night." 



Distribution in the British Islands. — An Occasional Visitor, 

 chiefly in the spring and summer, but a few have occurred in 

 autumn and winter. About thirty^five examples have been 

 recorded from England, chiefly in the south and east ; two 

 from "Wales, four from Scotland, and one from Ireland. 



General Distnbution.—^The Red-footed Falcon breeds in 

 eastern Europe and western Siberia, from north Russia to 

 the Yenesei and Lake Baikal, ranging southwards to Poland, 

 Hungary, the Balkan States, and south Russia. In winter 

 it visits Africa, as far south as Damaraland. It is scarce in 

 Spain and Morocco, and accidental in Heligoland, western 



