104 
FALCONIDJE. 
resemblance between those of different species is 
sometimes so close that they can scarcely be with 
certainty distinguished. Figs. 1 and 2 on plate II. 
will illustrate the form and colouring of those of 
the true Falcons. 
The true Falcons amount in Britain to six 
species. Their geographical distribution is va- 
rious. The Jer Falcon is only a straggler here ; 
Northern Europe with North America, are its 
strongholds. The Peregrine Falcon is pretty 
generally distributed over the temperate districts 
of Europe, where the country is alpine or the 
sea coast precipitous, and it extends also to the 
American continent.* The Merlin is European, 
perhaps also North American-! The Hobby is 
European, and visits us as a migratory bird in 
summer, keeping, however, to the southern dis- 
tricts. The Kestrel is one of the most abundant 
species in temperate Europe, but diminishes in 
numbers as the south is approached, becoming 
there represented by another species, which, on 
the African shores, is again represented by a 
third. This bird was noted by Mr Carruthers 
* We are not satisfied that the bird described in the 
Linnaan Society’s transactions from their museum, as 
the Peregrine, is identical with the bird of Europe. We 
possess a New Holland Falcon, closely allied, but quite 
distinct. 
t See description for our opinion of the distribution of 
this species. 
