326 Mr. Vigors' s Sketches in Ornithology. 



between the species known to the ancients. Pliny apparently 

 referring to it as a line of demarcation between them, divides the 

 group into his two departments of Aquilce and Accipitres. It is 

 from adopting the same views respecting the family, that M. Bris- 

 son instituted his two leading divisions, to which he assigned cor- 

 responding denominations. 



The Hawks being a numerous group, it seems adviseable to 

 adopt such divisions in arranging them, as will lessen the number 

 of species in each. They have generally been included in one 

 genus, to which a variety of names has been given.* But a suffi- 

 ciently characteristick difference may be discerned in the compa- 

 rative elevation of their tarsi, and in the structure of the acro- 

 tarsia. Three divisions, which have been pointed out by M. 

 Cuvier, may in this manner be instituted. The first of these, 



D^edaliow, Sav. 



may be distinguished from the others by its tarsi, strong and of 

 moderate length, being covered with reticulated scales. Of this 

 genus the American species F. cachinnuns, Linn, and F. me- 

 lanops, Lath, form the type, according to M. Cuvier. M. Savigny 

 has conferred the title of Dwdalion upon the whole of this stirps, 

 and his name, which cannot be retained for the whole, may be 

 adopted for the present division of it. 



The second division of the present stirps is the genus 



Astur, Bechst. 

 a title which has been applied to the whole group, but which 

 may be confined to those whose tarsi, moderate in length, have 

 their acrotarsia scutellated, or covered with broad and even scales. 

 Our European species, F. pulumbarius, Linn, may be considered 

 the type of this genus : to which may be added F. Nova; Hol- 

 landia>, Lath., and a considerable number of corresponding species 

 from every quarter of the globe. 



The third genus of the Hawks includes those whose tarsi are 

 considerably elevated, slender, and like the last scutellated. The 

 scales are thin and smooth, and generally so imperceptibly united 



* It has been called Astur, Dadalion, Sparvius, &v. 



