FAT.CONID.E — DIURNAL RAPTORES. 420 



S. ^salon. Size small (wing never more than 9 inohos). Sexes very illfl'.^rent in 

 adult plumage, the young of both sexes resembling the adult female. 

 6. Basal Joint of toes covered with transverse scutolliB. Tarsus longer than middle 

 toe. 

 4. Tinnunoulus. Size small (wing never more than 8 inches in the American 

 speciesl. Sexes very difTerent at all ages, but not differing according to age.* 

 Large transverse seutelte of feet interrupted at lower extremity of tarsus and 

 extreme base of toes. Tarsus much longer than middle toe. Bill small, the cere 

 on the top less than one fourth the culmen. 

 6. Shynchofalco. Size medium (wing more than 9 inelies). Sexes alike in colQr, 

 and young not essentially dilTerent from adults. Large soutellae of feet unin- 

 terrupted at base of toes. Tarsus but little longer than middle toe. Bill very 

 robust, the cere on top about one third the eulmen. (Tropical, north to Texas.) 



Subgenus Hierofalco Cuvier, 



Hierofalco Cuv. Reg. An. 1817. 312. Type. Falco candicclns Gii-Eij..=F.islandusB-RVS's. 

 (Jennala Kaup, Isis, 1847, 09, Type, Falco jiigger Gkat. 



Synopsis of North American Species. 



■ F, ^yrfaloo. Feathering of the tarsus extending around on to the posterior face, 

 where the narrow naked strip is nearly or quite concealed. Male. Wing. 1.3.00-15.80: 

 tail. 7.50-lD.oO. Female. Wing, 15.75-17.00; tail. 9.60-11.50. Colors extremely variable, 

 the extremes being bluish or brownish gray barred or striped with dusky on the 

 upper parts, ,and uniform dark sooty slate, witli few or no light markings. 



. F. mexicanus. Feathering of the tarsus confined almost wholly to the anterior faci'. 

 the posterior face entirely naked, 31ale. Wing, 11,80-12,50; tail, 0,10-8.00, Female. 

 Wing, 13.25-14,30; tail, 8,00-9,00. Adult male. Above light brown, barred anteriorly 

 with pale fulvous and posteriorly with pale bluish gray; top of head grayish brown, 

 streaked with dusky. Adult female. Above brown, without distinct bars, but 

 feathers bordered with p.aler rusty brown. Young. Above brown, feathers distinctly 

 margined with light rusty; beneath creamy white, the axillars and broken flank- 

 patch dusky brown; chest, etc., streaked with dark brown. 



Falco mexicanus Schleg. 



PEAIEIE FALCON. 



Popular flynonym, American Lanner Falcon. 



Falco mexicanus "Light." Schleg. Abh. Geb. Zool. 1841. 15.~CouES, Key, 1872,213; 



Check List, 1874, No. 342; 2d ed. 1SS2, No. 502. 

 Falco poljiagrus (part) C.iss. Proc. Phil. Acad. vi. 1854. 450; lUustr. B. Cal. etc. 1863. 88. 



pi, 10 (light fig,) ; in Baird's B, N. Am. 1858. 12,— Baied, Cat, N, Am, B. 1859. No. 10. 

 Falco lanarius var. iioli/agrus B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. ill, 1874. 123, 

 Hierofalco mericann.'i polyagrus Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 412. 



Hab. Western United States and table-lands of Mexico; north to Washington Ter- 

 ritory and Dakota, e.ist to Illinois (prairie districts), Indian Territory, etc. 



♦In the European Kestril {F. litmunculuK Linn.) and its Old World allies, the young 

 male is said to resemble the adult female in coloration. 



