FALCONID.E — THE FALCONS — AQUILA. 449 



Family FALCOXID.E, The Falcons. 



Char. Bill cur\ing uniformly from the base, or only straight for a short 

 distance, provided with a thick and colored cere, perforated hy the nostrils. 

 Eyes sunken under a projecting brow. Head feathered. Claws strong and 

 hooked. 



Found in aU parts of the world. 



The exact limits of this family are hard to define. The sub-family, 

 Pohjlorina', is about as closely related to the vultures as to the eagles, while 

 others approach to the diurnal owls. 



Sub-Family AQUILIX.E, The Eagles. 



Char. Size large, form very robust and strong. Bill large, compressed, 

 straight at base, curved, and acute at tip ; wings long, pointed ; tail ample, 

 generally rounded ; tarsi moderate, very strong ; claws much cur\'ed, sharp, 

 and strong. 



Gexls AQUILA, .Mcehrisg. 



Aquila, MtEHiiiNG, Gen. Av. 1752, 49, ct auctoruni. 



Gex. Char. Wings long and iiuintL-il ; tarsi ratliiT short, very strong, feathered to 

 the toes ; middle and outer toes coniieeted by a luenibraue. 



Aquila Canadensis, Lixx.eus. 



THE AMERICAN GOLDEN EAGLE. 



Falco Canadensis, LiNN^ns, Syst. Xat. I. 1766, l-25. — Ai/itlhi Canadensis, Cassix, P. R. 



Rep. Birds, IX. 41. — Heermax.v, X. vi. 30. — CocEs, Pr. A. X. Sp. 1866, 49. 

 Aquila chysatos, Rich, anil Swainsox, Fauna Bor. Amer. II. 12. — AuDUBoy, Birds 



Amer. pL 182 : oct ed. 50, pi. 12. (Xame of European species.) — Nuttall, M.an. I. 



56. — MAXIMILI.A.N, Cab. Jour. 1838, 9. — Blasil's, Bericht Vurein Deutseh. Oru. 1862, 



83. (Tliese say it is absolutely identieal with European.) 

 Fakofalnis, WiLSOX, Am. Orn. VII. 13, pi. 53, f. 1. (Not of Linmeiis ?) 



Sp. Char. Head and neck behind li^dit brownish-fulvous, varying in shade, fre- 

 quently light yellowish, generally darker. Tail at base white, often for the greater part 

 of its length, the terminal portion glossy black. Other parts rich j urplish-brown, fre- 

 quently very dark, nearly clear black on under parts of body. Primaries shining black ; 

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