LINNEAN GENUS FALCQ, 



613 



fa a larger bird ; but this may be accounted for ^- 

 on the supposition of his specimen being from 

 America, where both the Peregrine and Goshawk 

 are larger than in Europe. Edwards supposes 

 that this and the last mentioned variety, are male 

 and female, and form a species of themselves. 



This confusion no doubt arises from authors 

 having described the Common and Peregrine Fal- 

 cons as distinct. The two last varieties combin- 

 ing in a certain degree the characters of both, 

 have occasioned, like some others, a difficulty re- 

 garding the species to which they should have 

 been referred ; but all variance of opinion is re- 

 conciled by considering the Common Falcon as 

 merely the young of the Falco peregrinus. 



I have seen a specimen of the latter from North 

 America^ which agrees in every respect with the 

 Black Falcon, except in the colour of the legs, 

 which were yellow instead of blue. I may here 

 remark, that the colour of the legs is not to be 

 constantly relied upon as a specific character. I 

 have seen the Peregrine Falcon with greenish legs, 

 and one out of three taken from the same nest, 

 was observed by Montagu to have the legs of a 

 bluish-grey colour The upper plumage of the 



* It is well known that the colour of the irides and legs of 

 birds is subject to change, and that individuals of the same spe- 

 cies are not always characterised by a similarity of colour in 

 those parts. In addition to what I have stated in the text in 

 VOL. II, R X 



