1859.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 28 1 



A fine adulfc example of a British Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregri- 

 nus verus) quite bears out the opinion of the Prince of Canino, Mr. Gould, 

 and others, that the Bauri Falcon of India should be recognised as dis- 

 tinct, by the name F. calidus, Latham. A glance suffices to distinguish 

 them. The European Peregrine has more colour on the lower-parts, 

 whcih, however, do not approach in depth of hue those of the Shdhin 

 Falcon (F. peregrinator) of India; and it differs both from the Bauri 

 and Shdhin by having the lower-parts, thighs, and beneath the wings, 

 much more strongly barred, the breast being also much more conspicu- 

 ously spotted with large well developed ' drops.' In the Bauri the breast 

 is uniformly much whiter, and the spots are almost confined to a narrow 

 black mark on the stem of each feather, even this disappearing on a large 

 proportion of the feathers in some specimens. The Bauri has likewise 

 much more and brighter yellow upon the cere and base of bill, than has 

 the European Peregrine. In size and structure they agree; but admit- 

 ting the Bauri and Shdhin to be distinct species, as all must admit that 

 know them (and these inhabiting the same country — albeit the former keeps 

 more to the plains and the latter to the hills), there is no alternative but 

 to consider the European Peregrine as also equally distinct, and likewise 

 the Australian Fr. macropus, Swainson (v. melanogenys, Gould). 



Three specimens of the European Rallus aquaticus present the usual 

 distinctions from R. indicus, nobis, J. A. S. XVIII, 820: the Indian 

 Water Rail being larger, with conspicuously thicker bill and legs, the 

 latter obviously of a different colour from those of R. aquaticus. The 

 ash-colour of the lower-parts is invariably much less pure, being always 

 greatly mingled with brown in R. indicus. Again, there is a well marked 

 dark streak below the eye of R. indicus, continued back over the ear- 

 coverts, which does not occur in 11. aquaticus. Length of closed wing, 

 in three specimens of indicus, exceeding 5 in. ; in the three of aquati- 

 cus, under 4\ in. ; vertical depth of bill at base scarcely exceeding $ in. 

 in R. aquaticus, about § in. (and sometimes even more) in R. indicus.* 



5. Major W. S. Sherwill. Some minute fishes from the Mutla, taken 

 in mid-stream during the height of the tide. Among them I recognise 

 a single individual of a second species of the genus Bogoda, Bleeker, 



* The Corn-crake or c Land-rail' (Ortygometra crex) is very rare in India, 

 though common in Afghanistan, and Afghan specimens are undisfcinguishable 

 from British. It should occur therefore about Peshavvur. The well known 

 sportsman Purdy mentions having killed a Land-rail in Oudh, remarking that 

 it was the only one he ever saw in India (Beng. Sp. Mag. XIX, 270) ; and thia 

 is the sole instance I know of a Land-rail having been observed in this country. 



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