1863. | Proceedings of the Asiatie Society. 457 
sufficient series of Indian kites to make a satisfactory comparison 
between them and the Chinese. 
“T have one or two small Indian kites which appear to me to be 
identical with the Minvus arrryis of Australia: M. arrinis I have 
also received from Macassar; and I have some Chinese kites which 
appear quite adult and in which the pale streaks have entirely disap- 
peared, as in adult specimens from India. 
“JT have never yet been able to discover any difference in the 
plumage of old and young specimens of M. areryrs—which is remark- 
able, as there is so great a difference in the case of M. Govinpa and 
M. aver, and also a difference (though much less) in the case of M. 
PARASITICUS. 
“The British Museum contains adult specimens of the Faleon which 
I presume you identify with F. canipus of Latham; but I have a 
suspicion that the true f\. PEREGRINUS is sometimes found in India, as 
well as F. canrpus. 
“ Capt. Irby has brought a Falcon from Oudh which appears to Mr. 
Sclater and myself to belong to an undescribed species intermediate to 
F. catrpus and F. nanarius of Schlegel (Feldeggi, auctorum). Be- 
sides Capt. Irby’s specimen, which he has kindly presented to the 
Norwich museum, we have two other examples of this Falcon there— 
one said to be from Abyssinia, the locality of the other unknown. The 
late H. I. Company’s Museum contains a fourth specimen brought from 
Babylon by the ‘ Euphrates’ exploring expedition. (Since published as 
I’. BaByLonicus, Gurney, in the Ibis, Vol. III. p. 218). 
“f’, PEREGRINATOR (as you justly say) is a well marked species, 
and very distinct from all the above. It is singular that it has never 
yet (so far as J know) been figured in fully adult plumage. 
“F. sue@ur belongs to a distinct group, in which are two other 
species, viz. F. sacrer, Schlegel,=F. tanarius, auctorum,—and 
I. potyacrus of N. America.” * 
* The more typical Falcons appear to me to resolve into— 
1. Arctic or Jer. Falcons (excluding certain species from Australia and N. 
Zealand). 
2. Desert Falcons, The Lanner group, to which F. sacrr, ¥. suceur, F. Ba- 
BYLONICUS, and K'. PEREGRINOIDES appertain ; and to which the ImracipEA of Mr. 
Gould approximates, his supposed two species, being (in Dr. Jerdon’s, and my 
own opinion) in all probability but young and old of the same; as also the alleg- 
ed ‘Jer. Nalcons’ of the Southern Hemisphere. 
3. Clif Falcons ; consisting of the Peregrine group, 
3 M 2 
