364 
Mr. W. Raw on the 
fibis, 
130. Falco columbarius sesalon. Merlin. 
Not uncommon during the winter, arriving on the heels 
of the autumn migration and remaining until March. 
Examples obtained on 12 November, 1916, and 15 January, 
1917. 
131. Falco vespertiuus vespertinus. Red-footed Falcon. 
About the same number observed as of the preceding 
species and at about the same times. Examples shot on 
19 and 22 October, 1916. 
132. Falco naumanni naumanni. Lesser Kestrel. 
I appear to have no record of meeting with this bird 
during autumn or winter. It is very common during the 
last week in March and early in April, at which season I 
have observed quite fifty at a time flying round the Birket 
Accrashi. * 
133. Falco tinnunculus rupicolaeformis. Egyptian Kestrel. 
Common and resident. This species is very fond of build¬ 
ing in holes in the sides of native houses. Old nests of the 
Hooded Crow are also favoured as sites, and one pair nested 
annually on the top of a palm-tree which had died and shed 
its leaves. Another pair reared two broods in the cage at 
the top of one of our wireless masts, 300 feet above the 
ground. It lays from the end of March until the end of 
May, from three to five being a clutch. Lizards and locusts 
form a large part of their food in the breeding-season, and 
I seldom observed them take birds. 
[My dates range from 30 March to 30 April. I took one 
nest from No. 3 Signal Tower on the Suez road. My 
largest clutch is four.—R. S.] 
[As compared with eggs of the Common Kestrel, those of 
the Egyptian bird are decidedly small. The average of 
fifty-five eggs collected by Mr. Raw and Colonel Sparrow is 
35*8x 30*2 mm., whereas British eggs average 39*7x31*7 
mm.—F. C. R. J.] 
