6l6 



ON SOME SPECIES OF THE 



P.mger. latere mucula est nigra, ab oris angulis procedens, 

 et deorsum tendens, mystacis instarJ*^ It has 

 not assumed the transverse markings of the lower 

 plumage, but i? spotted longitudinally ; and this 

 agrees with the observation which I formerly 

 made, that the upper plumage of the Peregrine 

 Falcon is first completed, although in the Gos* 

 hawk the transverse lines on the breast are observ- 

 able before the darker shades of the back are ac- 

 quired. 



It will be seen from the preceding varieties, 

 that there is just ground for believing, that the 

 opinion which I have adopted is correct. By pre- 

 senting them in the order in which they have 

 been arranged, the gradations in plumage arq di- 

 stinctly perceived ; and there is little room left tq 

 doubt, that the common Falcon and the Peregrine 

 Falcon are the same. Many more varieties have 

 been described, but those enumerated are suffici- 

 ent to illustrate the subject, and the others, being 

 for the most part merely accidental, have been pur- 

 posely omitted. 

 F. tartan- Xo the same species may be referred the: Falco 

 F.barbarus. tartaricus of Brisson ; and it is probable that the 

 Falco harbarus of Linn^us is also either the 

 young, or an accidental variety of the Peregrine 

 Falcon 



* With regard to the F, tartaricus , B Eckstein has formed 

 the same opinion. Both Beckstein and Cuvier consider the 

 F» harbarus as the young of the Peregrine Falcon. 



