17 



FAMILY THE SECOND. 



POLYBORID^ or CARACARAS. 



This family consists of a group of birds inhabiting the 

 continent of America, and more or less related on the one side 

 to the smaller Vidtures, and on the other to some of the genera 

 of the 3Iilvine and Circaetine groups, and especially to the 

 genus Herpetotheres, and also (as has been akeady mentioned) 

 to the family of Serpentariidce. 



SUB-FAMILY. 



POLYBORINJE or CAR AGAR AS. 



Genus POLYBOEUS fVieUht.J 



POLYBORUS THARTJS (Molini.) 



BRAZILIAN CAEACAEA. 



The Brazilian Caracara is especially distinguished from 

 the other birds of this family by a singular peculiarity of 

 the nostrils, which in this species are in the form of a crescent- 

 shaped slit, whilst in all the other Caracaras they are in that 

 of a cii-cle, with a bony centre. In this species, and in the 

 succeeding one (Henex australisj, the crop is bare of feathers, 

 a peculiarity which does not exist in the other Polyboridse. The 

 Brazilian Caracara is very generally foimd throughout the whole 

 of South Ainerica, and also throughout the southern part of 

 c 



