236 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Subgenus A S T IT R , Lacepede. 



Astur, Lac^p. 1800. (Type, Falco jmlumbarius, Linn.) 



Dcedalion, Savig. 1809. Dcedalium, Agass. 



Sparvius, Vieill. 1816. 



Aster, Swains. 1837. 



Lcucospiza, Kaup, 1844. (Type, Falco novce-hollandice, Gmel.) 



The characters of this subgenus have been sufficiently indicated on page 

 221, so that it is unnecessary to repeat them here. The species of Astur 

 are far less numerous than those of Nisus, only about six, including geo- 



Astur atricapiUus. 



graphical races, being known. They are found in nearly all parts of the 

 world, except tropical America, the Sandwich Islands, and the East Indies. 



Species and Races. 



A. palumbarius. Wing, 12.00 - 14.50 ; tail, 9.50 - 12.75 ; culmen, .80 - 

 1.00; tarsus, 2.70-3.15; middle toe, 1.70-2.20. Fourth quill longest; 

 first shortest. Adult. Above, continuously uniform slate-color, or brown ; 

 the tail with several more or less distinct broad bands of darker, and 

 narrowly tipped with white. Beneath white, with transverse lines or bars 

 of the same color as the upper surface. Top of the head blackish ; a streaked 

 whitish superciliary stripe. Young. Above much variegated wnth brown 

 and pale ochraceous ; bands on the tail more sharply defined. Beneath 

 pale ochraceous, with longitudinal stripes of dark brown. 



Adult. Above umber-brown, without conspicuously darker shaft- 

 streaks ; top of the head dull dusky. Markings on the lower parts in 

 the form of sharply defined, broad, detached, crescentic bars, and of an 

 umber tint ; throat barred. Tail with five broad, well-defined bands 

 of blackish. Wing, 12.25 - 14.25 ; tail, 9.40 - 11.10 ; culmen, .80 -.95 ; 



