170 



FALCONIN.E. 



FALCONS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 



Assuming the Falcons properly so called as presenting the 

 more distinctive characters of the great family composed of the 

 birds commonly known as Eagles, Hawks, Buzzards, and 

 Kites, we may designate these species by the general name of 

 Falconinse. Although they exhibit numerous and well-marked 

 modifications of the various organs, they are easily defined as a 

 group, and individually distinguished from all other birds. Of 

 compact form, with a rather large, roundish, feathered head, 

 hooked bill, eyes of moderate size directed laterally, and long, 

 curved, very acute claws, they are equally distinct from the 

 Vultures and the Owls, although closely allied to both. 



The bill, Plate IV, Fig. 1, is short, stout, compressed to- 

 ward the end, the upper mandible w^ith its dorsal line more or 

 less convex from the base, and decurved toward the end, its 

 sides convex, the edges sharp, and with a sinus or notch near 

 the tip, which is elongated, trigonal, and acute ; the lower 

 mandible with the angle wide, the dorsal line convex, the edges 

 sharp and decurved or emarginate close to the rounded tip. 

 The mouth is wide ; the palate flattened, with two longitudinal 

 papillate ridges, and an anterior median ridge. The posterior 

 aperture of the nares is oblong, with an anterior slit, and two 

 transverse papillate flaps. The tongue is of moderate length, 

 fleshy, deeply emarginate and papillate at the base, with one 

 of the lateral papilloe on each side larger, the sides nearly paral- 

 lel, the tip rounded and horny beneath. The oesophagus is 

 very wide, and about the middle of the neck is dilated into a 

 large sac or crop lying towards the right side, the trachea pass- 

 ing along the other. At its upper part, it has a layer of in- 

 conspicuous longitudinal muscular fibres, and in its whole 



