AVES. 
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Genus 9.—FALCO.— Linnceus. 
Generic Character. —Beak hooked, generally bent from its 
base, which is furnished with a somewhat hairy cere; mandibles 
notched in some species; nostrils lateral, rounded, or oval, open, 
and placed within the cere; tarsus covered with feathers or 
scales ; three toes before and one behind, the exterior usually 
united at its base to the middle toe; talons sharp, much hooked, 
and retractile. 
Section 1. —Falcons. —Beak short, bent from its base; up¬ 
per mandible with one, and sometimes with two notches, which 
fit into hollows in the under mandible ; legs robust; toes long, 
strong, talons sharp and hooked ; tarsus short; wings long, first 
and third quill feathers of equal length, the second quill being 
the longest. 
Falco tinnunculus. — The Kestril. — Female. 
Plate XXXVII. fig. 7. 
Upper parts of the female reddish-burnt Sienna-brown, with 
numerous black arrow-shaped spots and bars; tail with a broad 
bar near its tip ; breast, abdomen, and thighs, buff-orange, spot¬ 
ted with brownish-black ; quills bistre-coloured, margined with 
white. Fourteen inches long. Inhabits Europe. 
Section 2.—Hawks. —Wings short, terminating at two- 
thirds the length of the tail; first quill shorter than the second, 
the third nearly equal to the fourth; tarsus as long as the inter¬ 
mediate toe; claw greatly hooked, and sharp. 
Falco palumbarius. — The Goshawk. 
Plate XXXVI. fig. 8. 
Upper parts bluish ash-colour, under parts white, transversely 
barred with dark brown ; tail ash-coloured, with from four to 
five bars of dark brown ; beak blue black ; cere greenish-yellow ; 
iris and feet bright yellow. Length of female two feet; male 
a third less. Inhabits Europe. 
