GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. 



Family FALCONID^. 



Sub-Family Falconinje. — The Falcons. 



FALCO, LiNN^us. 



Falco, LiNN^us, Sj'st. Nat. I. 124 (1766). 



General form robust and compact. Bill short, cun^ed strongly from the base to 

 the point, which is very sharp, and near which is a distinct and generally prominent 

 tooth; nostrils circular, with a central tubercle; wings long, pointed, formed for 

 vigorous, rapid, and long-continued flight; tail rather long and wide; tarsi short, 

 robust, covered with circular or hexagonal scales; middle toe long; claws large, 

 strong, curved, and very sharp. 



FALCO ANATUM. — 5o??fl/)a?-te. 



The Duck Hawk ; Great-Footed Hawk. 



Falco anatum, Bonap. Comp. List, p. 4 (1838). 



" Falco pei'egrinus," Wilson, Audubon, and other authors. 



Description. 



Adult. — Frontal band white; entire upper parts bluish-cinereous, with trans- 

 verse bands of brownish-black, lighter on the rump; under parts yellowish-white, 

 with cordate and circular spots of black on the breast and abdomen, and transverse 

 bands of black on the sides, under tail coverts, and tibise ; quills and tail brownish- 

 black, the latter with transverse bars of pale cinereous; cheeks with a patch of 

 black; bill light-blue; tarsi and toes yellow Sexes alike. 



Ymmger. — Entire upper parts brownish-black; frontal spot obscure; large 

 space on the cheeks black; under parts dull yellowish-white, darker than in adult, 

 and with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black; tarsi and toes bluish-lead color, 

 iris hazel. 



Total length, eighteen to twenty inches ; wing, fourteen to fifteen ; tail, seven 

 to eight inches. 1 



I REGRET that I am unable to add, from my own knowl- 

 edge, any facts in relation to the habits of this bird, to 

 what we already possess. It is nowhere a common species, 

 and I have had no opportunities of observing and studying 

 its characteristics. It seems to be a resident of New Eng- 

 land throughout the year, and is oftener found in the neigh- 

 borhood of the sea-coast than in the interior. It is a 

 powerful bird, of rapid flight and great boldness and cour- 



1 See Introduction. 



