28 RAPTORIAL BIRDS 
‘‘T shot one at Jaffna with half a lizard in its maw, and Mr. 
Mitford procured another at Ratnapoora feeding on bees, which 
it captured sometimes on the wing, and sometimes by darting at 
the nest ; it was attended by its mate, and the two sat together 
on the dead branches of a tree, raising and depressing their 
crests.” 
We have now arrived at the group of Falcons, the 
larger species of which are birds of great power of 
wing, bill, and talon, and of highly carnivorous habits ; 
whilst the smaller Falcons are for the most part more 
or less insectivorous. 
Amongst the partially insectivorous Falcons must 
be included the four species which form the genus 
Flieracidea, of which two inhabit Australia, and two 
are natives of New Zealand. The habits of the 
species which is found in New South Wales, (A/era- 
cidea berigora) are thus described by Mr. Gould. 
‘* Although it sometimes captures and preys upon birds and 
small quadrupeds, its principal food consists of carrion, reptiles, 
and insects; the crops of several that I dissected were literally . 
crammed with the latter kind of food. It is generally met with 
in pairs, but at the seasons when hordes of caterpillars infest the 
newly-sprung herbage, it congregates in flocks of many hundreds.” 
Of the succeeding genus, Zzmnunculus, one species 
is scattered over the whole of the American Continent 
except the arctic region; while a second nearly allied 
race is limited to the Island of Cuba. Two others 
(one of which is our well-known British Kestrel,) are 
widely spread over the continents of Europe, Asia, 
