27G 



A CCIPI rniDJE. HA WKS. 



where T have chanced to have been, I have never shot one; indeed I have seen it but once, 

 On the fourth of November, 18G8, I was crossing one of the mountain passes of Northern 

 New Hampshire, in the teeth of a biting wind, for the weather was unusually cold, when 

 glancing upward, I saw one of these noble Falcons, flying high over the mountain tops, 

 steering northward over the unbroken forests which were, even thus early in the season, 

 covered deeply with snow and almost a solitude, being deserted by nearly all the feathered 

 tribes. 



The Jer Falcons breed much like the Peregrine Falcons, on inaccessible cliffs in the 

 far North and they spend the greater portion of their time in these inhospitable regions, 

 even remaining there through the severe winter weather, only occasionally visiting us; so 

 rarely, that their occurence may be regarded as merely accidental. Those in the dark 

 plumage, described by Audubon as the Labrador Falcon but now regarded by nearly every 

 one as only a melanistic stage of the lighter species, appear to favor us with their presence 

 rather more frequently than their lighter colored brethren. The Jer Falcons have been 

 taken as far south as Connecticut but their normal range is north of Canada. 



FAMILY IIL A.GGIVIT'RIDM. THE SHORT-WINGED HAWKS. 



The sternum does not nearly equal in width the length of the coracoids, nor does the scap- 

 ular process of the latter meet thefurcula. Marginal indentations, two, inclosed. 



This family, in oar section, is i-epresented by a single genus, as I restrict it. The 

 manubrium is moderately well developed but is not forked and is either pointed or ab- 

 ruptly truncated. The furcula is stout, much flattened by lateral expansion, wide and 

 thick near the base which is rounded and not produced into a point. The terminal expan- 

 sion is small and the furcula near it is only slightly contracted and furrowed above, and is 

 bent downward to a point at about two thirds the height of the keel. The marginal inden- 

 tations, although var_ying in size with age, are always inclosed. 



GENUS I. ACCIPITER. THE TRUE HAWKS. 



Gen. Cii. BiH, short, broad, well curved, with the cutting ed(je of upper mandible distinctly lobcd, hit the lower is not 

 notched. Tarsus, lonij and nearly naked. Tail, ivell rounded, considerably exceeding in length one half the length of the 

 wings which are short and ?iot pointed. Nostril, without central tubercle. 



Members of tliis genus have the leg long and the tai-sus is usually naked to the heel behind, but is slightly feathered 

 in front. The toes are long and the claws are quite long and pointed, fire outer quills are noticeably incised on the in- 

 ner webs. 



The trachea is a little flattened throughout. The sterno-traehealis is short and stout, having its origin quite near the 

 larynx, and there is a slender bronchialis extending over all the half rings, but there are no other laryngeal muscles. The 

 tympaniform membrane is present and although there is a thin os traasversale, it does not support a semilunar membrane. 

 The walls of the oasophagus are thin; this is at first nearly straight, then is dilated into a crop, and is again straight and 

 opens into a medium sized proventriculus with numerous small, simple, oval glands arranged in a zonular band which meas- 

 ures 1-00 in Cooperi, from which this and the following dimensions were taken. The stomach is of a rather small size, 

 somewhat globular in form, with thin but soft walls, and is lined with a soft membrane. The fold of the duodenum is long, 

 measuring .300, inclosing an irregul.arly formed pancreas which only extends about one half its entire length. The coeca, 

 when present, are very small. The spleen is an elliptical body lying on or near the proventriculus. Both lobes of the liv- 

 er are short, thick, and nearly equal in size. The heart is large, triangular in form, and not very pointed. There are two 

 species within our limits. 



