354 FALCON AND EAGLE GROUP 



Amoni^ the more conspicuous external characters of the group 

 may be mentioned the strong sharply curved beak, in which the upper 

 half is much longer than the lower, and has its downwardly-bent tip 

 vertical. The association of a beak of this type with the presence of 

 a bare membrane (the " cere ") at its base, in which the nostrils are 

 pierced, is, indeed, absolutely distinctive of the order. The powerful 

 feet are furnished with four toes, suited for grasping, and provided 

 with strong curved claws, but are never webbed. The limitation of the 

 number of primary quills in the wing to eleven is characteristic of the 

 group. Although the young are hatched in a helpless condition and 

 require to be tended for a long time by their parents, they differ from 

 those of the cormorants and gannets in coming into the world provided 

 with a coat of down. As this is white in all cases, it will be 

 unnecessary to refer to the colour of the nestling when describing the 

 different species. As a rule, the adult female is considerably the 

 superior of her mate in the matter of size. Very frequently the two 

 sexes are more or less nearly alike in the matter of colour, and in no 

 case is a seasonal breeding-dress assumed, although the adult plumage 

 of many hawks may be a permanent livery of this class. The nest is 

 generally a large and loose structure of sticks, which may be built 

 either in trees or among rocks. As regards the eggs, these are so 

 variable in shape, texture, colour, and number, that no description which 

 will apply to the group generally can be given. In the case of some 

 species, for example, the eggs arc white, in others they are spotted or 

 blotched, while in yet others they display an almost continuous 

 mahogany-colouring. All the members of the order subsist on animal 

 substances, and the majority kill their own prey. 



The Falconidx, of which the peregrine is the type (as it is of the 

 genus Falco), include the great bulk of the more representative members 

 of the order — in fact all the European and Asiatic species with the 

 exception of the vultures and ospreys. They may be briefly 

 characterised by the absence of after-shafts to the feathers, the 

 complete feathering of the crown of the head, and the impossibilit)- of 

 turning the outer toe backward. .All the members of the group 

 considered here belong to the subfamily Falconina^, of which it will be 

 unnecessary to discuss the characteristics. It may be mentioned, 

 however, that in the more typical members of the group the plumage 

 of immature birds is generally some shade of chestnut with black 

 streaks on the under-parts. In some cases this plumage is retained 

 throughout life (apart from annual moultings) ; but more generally 

 the adult males, or both sexes together, assume a slaty-grey plumage 



