194 KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



of which the peculiarities are given in the specific description. 

 No. 34. 



Practically, in this whole family the female is the larger and 

 stronger bird. Where dimensions are given, the smaller num- 

 bers refer to the male and the larger to the female. 



Key to the Species 



* Nails (talons) all of the same length, narrowed and rounded on the 



lower side ; wing, 17-22 long ; scales of the tarsus small, rounded '. . 

 3.3. American Osprey. 



* Nails of graduated length, the hind one longest, the outer shortest. (A.) 

 A. Tarsus densely feathered all around and down to the toes ; wing, 



22-28 long 21. Golden Eagle. 



A. Tarsus feathered to the toes in front but with a bare strip behind ; 



wing, 15-20 long. (P.) 

 A. Tarsus bare for at lea.st one third of its length. (B.) 



B. Wing over 19 long ; tail under 16 long ; head not crested 



2;]. Bald Eagle. 



B. Wing over 19 lung ; tail over 16 long ; head conspicuously crested ; 



Texas 22. Harpy Eagle. 



B. Wing under 18 long. (C.) 

 C. An extreme southern, ground bird, with the front of the tarsus 

 covered with numerous rounded scales; wing. 14l-16\ long; 



culmen, 1 } or more long 32. Audubon's Caracara. 



C. Tail deeply forked (6 inches or more) ; wing, 15-lH long 



1. Swallow-tailed Kite. 



C. Wing, 7 or more times as long as the tarsus ; bill with no sharp 

 teeth or notches ; nostril elongated and without inner bony tubercle ; 

 tail at most but slightly notched. (0.) 

 C. Wing about 7 times as long as the tarsus ; bill with a sharp notch 

 and tooth back of the tip ; nostril circular and with an inner bony 

 tubercle;- wing over 11 long. (N.) 

 C. Wing, 6 or less times as long as the tarsus. (D.) 

 D. General plumage black, with almost no portions of lighter color 



except some bands on the tail. (M.) 

 D. Upper tail coverts white ; base of tail white also in some of the 



species. (L.) 

 D. With neither the general plumage black nor the upper tail coverts 

 white. (E.) 



