186 



288a. Nesierax novee-seelandice pottsi,^ Math, and 

 Iredale, Ibis,. 1913, p. 420. \Puroah Bay. 

 N. Island.] 

 Bush Falcon. 



Smaller ; wing <J 228-233, ? 246-255 mm. ; 

 plumage similar ; [scarcely distinguishable 

 except by sexing]. 



New Zealand. 



Gen. XCIV. FALCO Linn. (1758). 

 Type by subs, desig. (A.O.U. Checklist, 1886) Fako subbuteo L. 



Distance between tips of primaries and tips of 

 secondaries more than half length of tail ; first 

 and third quills equal, second longest ; feet large 

 and powerful ; tarsus short, reticulated ; toes 

 long with curved and sharp claws, the outer toe 

 rather longer than inner. Size variable. 



A. Size small; length about 10-13 in. (Typical 

 Falco L.). 



t*289. Falco subbuteo subbuteo Linn., S. N., i., p. 

 89 (1758). [" Europe " =Sweden, apud 

 Hartert]. 

 Hobby. 



Wing <? 255-265, ? 273-280 mm.; above 

 dark slate grey, darker on head and 

 paler on rump ; hinder part of cheeks and 

 sides of neck buffy white, with well-defined 

 black moustachial stripe below ; nuchal 

 collar reddish white ; tail slate grey, all 

 but middle pair df feathers barred on 

 inner webs with ferruginous ; below creamy 

 white, striped on breast and flzmks with 

 black ; thighs and under tail-coverts rust- 

 red. 



Europe ; from 

 Scandinavia 

 and Brit. Isles 

 to Mediterran- 

 ean ; W. Siberia; 

 in winter to 

 Africa and 

 N.W. India. 



■>■ N. australis (Hombr. & Jacq.) being not tenable, the small form has been 

 re-named by Mathews and Iredale. I am very doubtful as regards the 

 advisability of separating the supposed small race. 



