112 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



F. p. peregrinus, ground-colour of under -parts more rufous-buff 

 and not so pale as in juvenile F. p. peregrinus. 



Measurements and structure. — £ wing 300-330 mm., tail 143-163, 

 tarsus 44-50, bill from cere 18-21 (7 measured). Q wing 345-370, 

 bill 22-24. Structure as in F. p. peregrinus. 



Breeding-habits. — Recorded as breeding not only on ledges and 

 cavities of cliffs and clay bluffs, but also in wooded districts in 

 hollows in large trees and occasionally in old nests of Eagle. No 

 nest made, eggs being laid on ground in scratching or on decayed 

 wood. Eggs. — 3 or more usually 4, very rarely 5, much like those 

 of Peregrine, sometimes almost uniformly washed with yellowish- 

 brown, or spotted and blotched with brown varying from brick-red 

 to chocolate, and not showing much of the creamy -white ground. 

 Average of 61 eggs, 52.5x41. Max. : 57x43. Min. : 48.5x38.5 

 (Bendire). Breeding -season. — From late March in southern to 

 April in northern States and as late as June and July in Arctic 

 America. Incubation. — -By both sexes ; lasts about four weeks. 

 Single brooded. 



Food. — Mainly birds taken on the wing, mammals (mice) rarely 

 recorded. Birds include many species of Passeres (Blue Jay, 

 Kingbird, Nuthatch, Chickadee, Grosbeak, Tanager, Phoebe, 

 Veery, Warblers, Thrushes, Thrasher and Catbird). Also Wood- 

 peckers and Flickers, Pigeons and Mourning Dove, Waterhen and 

 American Coot, Franklin's Gull and young Gulls, j^oung Night Heron. 

 Cinnamon Teal and smaller Ducks, Ptarmigan, Grouse, Bob-White 

 and poultry, Dusky Petrel, Terns and Auklets. Insects also 

 occasionally taken. 



Distribution. — England. — Two. One shot Newbold Verdon near 

 Market Bosworth (Leicester), Oct. 31, 1891 (ut supra). One netted 

 Humberstone (Lines.), Sept. 28, 1910 (G. H. Caton-Haigh, Brit . B., 



v, p. 219). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds over greater part of North 

 America (but replaced in north-west coast region by a very closely- 

 allied race, Falco peregrinus pealei) from Norton Sound in Alaska, 

 northern Mackenzie, Boothia Peninsula, and west Greenland to 

 Lower California, Arizona, Texas, south Carolina, and winters from 

 southern British Columbia to West Indies, Panama, and South 

 America. 



[Note. — A Lanner Falcon (stated to be Falco feldeggii) was picked up 

 dead near Carnforth, Lanes., on April 26th, 1902, having been observed in 

 the neighbourhood some weeks (H. W. Robinson, Field, Jan. 30th, 1904, 

 and elsewhere). This species inhabits the Mediterranean region and the 

 Nile Valley and South Africa. The S. European form (F. biarnricus feldeggii) 

 breeds in the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas. The Algerian form is used for 

 falconry in N. Africa and might be imported to this country, but the specimen 

 in question was apparently not critically examined.] 



