327 
between Takoo and Peking , North China. 
6. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, L. 
Not common. 
7. Merlin. Falco cesalon } L. 
I was watching a small Hawk being chased by a Magpie. The 
Hawk was in great distress and screamed piteously as it flew 
round and round the woody graveyard in which I was standing, 
to try and elude its persecutor. Presently I heard the report of 
a gun outside, and running out found Colonel Dupont and M. 
Zill with the body of a female of this species expiring in their 
hands. 
8. Red-legged Falcon. Falco vespertinus, L. 
Occasionally seen. M. Zill assured me he had seen and shot 
it at Chefoo, the northernmost promontory of Shantung, where 
the French rendezvoused. 
9. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipiter nisus ? 
I suppose this is the same as the South-Chinese species; but the 
female I procured has rust-tinted axillae as in the European bird, 
whereas those parts in the Amoy bird are white. I must say I 
took an unfair advantage of the individual of which I send the 
skin. It was very nearly dark one evening when I was standing 
in a pine plantation looking out for Blue Pies. I felt, rather than 
saw, something dark by me. It charged into a tree, and settled 
on a bough. I put up my gun and fired at guess, and to my delight 
picked up a bonny Sparrow-Hawk. This took place in Novem¬ 
ber on our return march, the thermometer standing below 
freezing-point. 
9 a. Eagle-Owl. Bubo maximus. 
10. Tawny Owl. Otus brachyotus , L.^ jp 
When the army was advancing on the north wall of Peking, 
an owl was put up from its skulking-place in a field of dried 
maize-stalk. It flew round and round and again settled. It 
appeared to me to belong to this species. 
11. Goat-sucker. Caprimulgus jotaka 3 Schlegel. 
A male was caught alive in August soon after our landing at 
Pehtang. This species I take tobe the true C jotaka of the f Fauna 
Japonica/ It seems to differ somewhat from our Amoy species. 
