LlNNEAN CENUS FALCO. 



605 



Allied to the preceding, is the fourth variety, ^^-^^ 

 the White Falcon ; Falco alhus, Briss. It is 

 white, with minute yellow spots. Some are im- 

 maculate, with the extremities of the greater 

 quill-feathers blackish. 



BuFFON is of opinion, that every white bird 



synonimous with the Peregrine Falcon, the opir* expressed 

 in the text, is in conformity with that of the Fiench natu« 

 ralist. 



Having recently, however, considered the descriptions of 

 this bird, and the opinions of Beckstein and Cuvier, I feel 

 inclined to adopt their ideas, and view it as distinct from any 

 variety of the F. peregrinus. Its characteristic distinction con-, 

 sists in the legs being feathered to the toes. 



The specific name adopted by Cuvier, is La Buse patue (F. 

 pematus ), from which it appears that he considers it synoni- 

 mous with the Booted Falcon o£ Latham. I have no doubt 

 that it is described in ornithological works under many denomina- 

 tions, though I cannot at present venture to give the synonyms. 

 The following extract from the " Regne AnimaP of Cuvier, 

 shews the opinion of that naturalist concerning the confused and 

 intricate state of the species : " Cette buse (the Buse patue ) est 

 quatre fois dans Gmelin, sans y etre jamais a sa place. C'est 

 \e Falco la gopus.'&rit. Zoo\. A pp. t. 1.; le Falco communist 

 leucephalusj Frisch. 75.; le Falco pennatus, Briss. App. pi. 1,; 

 le Falco Sancti-Johannis, Arct. Zool. pi. ix." 



I may add, that Beckstein considers the Sclavonian Falcon 

 as synonimous with the Falco lagopuSo Indeed, Dr Latham 

 had previously suspected that it might prove a variety of that 

 species. The German ornithologist is of opinion, that the ^» 

 pennatus is also a variety of the Falco lagopus. 



