FALCONID J^ — THE FALCONS. 155 



Palco (Rhynchofalco) femoralis, Temminck. 



APLOMADO FALCON. 



Falco femoralis, Temm. PI. Col. 121, 343, 1824. — Spix, Av. Braz. T, 18 (quot. PI. CI. 121), 

 1824. —ViG. Zobl. Journ. I, 339. — Steph. Zobl. XIII, pt. 2, p. 39, 1826. — Les.s. 

 Man. Orn. I, 79, 1828 ; Tr. Oin. p. 89, 1831. — Cuv. Reg. An. (ed. 2), I, 322, 1817. 

 — Swains. Classif. B. II, 212, 1837. — Noudm. Erm. Reis. urn die Erde, Atl. p. 16. — 

 Briug. Proc. Zool. Soc. pt. 11, p. 109; Ann. Nat. Hist. XIII, 499. — D'Orb. Vo}-. 

 Am. Merid. Av. p. 116, 1835. — Tschudi, Consp. Av. Wieg. Arch. 1844, p. 266; 

 Faun. Per. p. 108, 1844. —Cass. Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Pliilad. 1855, p. 178. — Strickl. 

 Orn. Syn. I, 88, 1855. Brewer, Oology, 1857, 14, pi. iii, f. 22. HyjJotriorchis 

 femoralis. Gray, Gen. B. fol. sp. 13, 1844 ; List B. Brit. Mus. p. 56, 1844. — Hartl. 

 Syst. Ind. Azar. p. 3, 1847. —Cass. B. N. Am. p. 11, 1858. — Coues, Pr. Ac. Nat. 

 Sc. Phil. 7, 1866. —Gray, Hand List, I, 21, 1869. Falco fuscocmndescens, Vieill. 

 Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. XI, 90, 1819, Falco cyanescens, Vieill. Enc. Meth. Ill, 

 1234 (No. 40, Azara, juv. teste, Hartl.). Falco thoracicus. Light. Verz. Doubl. p. 

 62, 1823. 



Sp. Char. Adult (sexes similar). Above uniform plumbeous, secondaries broadly 

 whitish at ends; tail with continuous narrow bands of white. A postocular, broad 

 stripe (changing to reddish on nape, where the two of opposite sides are confluent), mid- 

 dle area of auricular.?, and entire throat and jugulum, white, un variegated. Sides entirely 

 uniform blackish (confluent on middle of abdomen), with narrow bars of white; posterior 

 lower parts light ochraceous, immaculate. <J. Wing, 9.90; tail, G.70 ; tarsus, 1.62; 

 middle toe, 1.45. ?. Wing, 11.30; tail, 7.80; tarsus, 1.70; middle toe, 1.55. 



Young. Similar to the adult, but with broad longitudinal stripes of blackish on the 

 breast. 



Adult male (No. 30,896, Mirador, E. Mexico; Dr. C. Sartorius). Above brownish- 

 slate, becoming gradually darker anteriorly, the head above being pure dark plumbeous; 

 on the rump and upper tail-coverts the tint inclines to fine cinereous. Secondaries pass- 

 ing very conspicuously into white terminally; primaries plumbeous-dusky, their inner 

 webs with (the longest with twelve) very regular, narrow, transverse bars of white (the 

 outer web plain). Lining of the wing white (becoming more ochraceous toward the 

 edge) ; under coverts barred and serrated with dusky, the white, however, predominating. 

 Tail black, basally with a perceptible plumbeous cast ; crossed with eight narrow, trans- 

 verse bands of white, — the first two of which are concealed by the coverts, the last 

 terminal and about .27 of an inch in width ; the rest are narrower, diminishing in 

 width as they approach the base. Upper tail-coverts bordered terminally with ashy- 

 white, the longer with one or two transverse bars of the same. Forehead (narrowly) 

 white, this extending down across the lores to the angle of the mouth ; a broad, con- 

 spicuous supraoral stripe, originating above the middle of the eye, and running back 

 above the ear-coverts to the occiput (where the two of opposite sides are confluent), 

 white, more fulvous-orange on the occiput ; a broad dark plumbeous stripe running from 

 the posterior angle of the eye back over upper edge of ear-coverts, and continuing 

 (broadly) down the side of the neck ; another, but much smaller one, of similar color, 

 starting at lower border of bare suborbital space, passing downward across the cheeks, 

 forming a " mustache," leaving the middle area of the ear-coverts, the chin, throat, and 

 whole breast, white, the pectoral portion defined with a semicircular outline posteriorly. 

 Broad area covering the sides of the breast, sides, and flanks (meeting rather narrowly 

 across the upper part of the abdomen), black, with narrow, rather indistinct, transverse 

 bars of white. Femorals, tibi^, abdomen, anal region, and lower tail-coverts fine ochra- 



