TALCO. 115 



Juv. Nigricanti-brunneus, nucha et colli lateribus albo fulvoqne maculatim notatis ; notsei plumis angnste 

 rufescenti-brunneo marginatis, supracaudalibus rufo maculatis ; cauda grisescenti-bruunea, maculis rufis 

 fasciatim 8-notatis ; facie lateral! genisque nigris, his ad basin et gutture toto cum coUo laterali albidi& 

 rufo tinctis, hoc anguste nigro liueato ; corpore reliquo subtus rufescenti-cervino. plumis medialiter late 

 brunneo striatis, corporis lateribus tibiisque fulvido vel rufescenti-fulvo fasciatim notatis. (Descr. exempL 

 ex Duefias. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. North America generally. — Mexico {Mus. Brit. "), Mazatlan ^, Venado Island 

 ( Grayson ^), Tres Marias Is. ( Grayson ^ ^^, Nelson ^), Guanajuato {Duges *), Hacienda 

 Santa Cruz de la Valle near Guadalajara (J)r. A. Buller) ; Guatemala, Duenas^ 

 {0. S.^) ; Honduras, Swan Island, Bay of Honduras [Townsend ®) ; Salvador, Acajutla 

 {0. 8.)\ Panama, Santiago de Veraguas (Arce^). — South America generally, with 

 the exception of the extreme south ; Europe and the greater part of Asia ^^- 



The Peregrine Ealcon of North America is considered by many naturalists to be 

 distinct from the common Peregrine of the Old World, ^nd is separated as Falco 

 anatum. We agree, however, with Dr. Sharpe that the differences are not of specific 

 importance. 



The Peregrine is doubtless chiefly a migrant in Central America, and specimens 

 have been obtained in various localities. Grayson ^^ relates that he observed a pair in 

 Venado Island, off the coast of Mazatlan, which he believed were breeding, as one of the 

 birds entered a cavity in a cliff with food in its claws, apparently to feed its young, but 

 as the eyrie was inaccessible he did not obtain specimens. The Venado bird was the 

 dark western form of Peregrine inhabiting the Pacific coast of North America, and 

 known to naturalists as F. nigriceps or F. pealei. 



The Duck-Hawk, as this Falcon is generally called, breeds in the cliffs on the coasts 

 and rivers and in holes of high trees. Bendire '' says that nests have also been found in 

 sandstone cliffs close to the ground. The eggs, of a rich dark rufous colour, vary from 

 three to five in number. The food consists chiefly of Ducks, Pigeous, &c., which 

 the bird invariably strikes in mid-air. 



2. Falco mexicanus. 



Falco mexicanus, Schl. Abh. Geb. Zool. iv. p. 15 (1841) ' ; Mus. P.-B., Falcones, p. 18, note%- Ridgw. 

 Man. N. Amer. Birds, ed. 2, p. 247 ' ,• Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, i. p. 288, t. 10. 

 figs. 2, 3* ; Fisher, Bull. U. S. Dep. Agric. no. 3, p. 104 '^ ; A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. 

 Birds, p. 137 ^ 

 Hierofalco mexicanus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 420'. 

 Falco polyagrus, Cassin, Birds Cal. & Texas, p. 88 ". 



Falco lanarius, va.T. polyagrus, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 123 '. 

 Supra brunneus rufo marmoratus, notsei plumis schistaceo-brunneis rufo fasciatis et terminatis ; interscapulio 

 maculatim rufo notato, dorso postico, uropygio et supracaudalibus distincte transfasciatis ; tectricibus 

 alarum et secundariis intimis dorso concoloribus ; remigibus brunneis, schistaceo extus lavatis, intus 

 albido fasciatim notatis, secundariis rufo extus maoulatis, intus fasciatis ; rectricibus brunneis, griseo 

 adumbratis albo terminatis, duabus mediis concoloribus, reliquis autem rufo extus maculatis, intus 

 fasciatis ■ p'ileo rufescente, plumis medialiter nigris, quasi striatis ; frontis basi. Ions et superdlio angusto 



15* 



