Ornithology of Northern Africa. 289 
I met at Souf, a month later, with Falcons answering the 
above description in every respect excepting size. They were 
only 16^ inches long,and no doubt the males of the same species. 
4th. Tair el h'ohr. I cannot say whether this be specifically 
the F. lanarius or F. peregrinus , which latter never occurred 
within my observation in the Desert. 
5th and 6th. El Bah'ri and ElBourni. The latter is certainly 
Falco barbarus, as described by Mr. Salvin in ‘The Ibis/ No. 2. 
The El Bah'ri I believe to be only the falconer's appellation for 
the female. I never was fortunate enough to meet with it in the 
field; but my informant stated it to be a long-winged Falcon, and 
the best of all for partridge (El Hadjel) and “ Kif-klf Bourni 
khebir,”—just the same as F. barbarus, but larger. 
7th. Ez Zebarbach is the name I have seen applied to the 
Hobby when trained. I believe that the Erythropus vespertinus 
(Orange-legged Hobby) is also sometimes trained under this 
name; or it may be Hypotriorchis eleonorce, of which my in¬ 
formant spoke as a small “ Tair Saouda/' or Black Falcon, used 
by some for larks. 
I may mention that few Arab falconers keep their hawks 
over the moult, usually turning them loose in their breeding- 
places and securing the young ones. Hence, and from the ex¬ 
traordinary want of observation in the Arab, I suspect arises 
much of the controversy which overlies the whole question of the 
various species of Falcon. I should have felt inclined to have 
inserted, for the sake of comparison, the description of my 
Falco lanarius, had it not been procured in Tunis, and therefore 
not a Sahara specimen. I can only state a confident belief, not 
a positive assertion, that I have seen this bird in the Desert in a 
state of nature. If any friend feel inclined to question the accu¬ 
racy of the guesses advanced in this paper, I promise him no one 
will be better pleased than myself to have the subject elucidated, 
and I will not follow old Latham’s retort,— 
“ If any Criticke into censures breake, 
Hee’s but a Bussard, wee of Hawkes doe speake.” 
9. Falco barbarus. (Barbary Falcon.) “ Bourni,” Arab. 
Besides the trained birds with which I have chased the Sand- 
grouse, I have occasionally seen this Falcon wild on rocky pre- 
