THE NOTCHED FALCON. 



83 



The Notched Falcon is remarkable for the iJeculiar form of the beak, which exhibits 

 a double notch or tooth on each side, and has therefore been distinguished by the 

 specific title of bidentatus, or "two-toothed." 



This species is a native of Southern America, being found most commonly in Brazil 

 and Guinea. In size it is about equal to the common kestrel, its length being thirteen or 

 fourteen inches. Tlie general colour of the Notched Falcon is a slaty-blue or blue-gi'ey 

 upon the upper surface of the body, and the tail is dusky-brown, marked with several 

 transverse bars of greyish-white. 

 The throat and under tail-coverts 

 are white, and the breast and 



abdomen are rusty-red, marked , — 



with undulating streaks of yel- ^il 



lowish- white. Very little is known 

 of the habits of this species, but 

 on accoiint of the peculiar form 

 of its beak, it cannot be passed 

 over without notice. 



The members of an allied 

 genus, termed lerax, also possess 

 a similarly formed beak, but the 

 structure of the wings and arrange- 

 ment of the feathers are so dif- 

 ferent as to give reason for placing 

 the bird in a sef>arate genus. One 

 of the most beautiful examples of 

 this genus is the little Bengal Fal- 

 con {lerax coerulescens), a native 

 of Java, Borneo, and many parts 

 of India. This tiny Falcon is barely 

 six inches ui length, and is popu- 

 larly known in India by the name 

 of " Mooty," a word which signifies 

 a handful, and is given to the bird 

 because when it is flown at game, 

 it is taken in the hand and flung 

 at the quarry as if it were a stone 

 rather than a living missile. It 

 is a most daring little bird, and 

 has been known to strike in suc- 

 cession ten or twelve quails before 

 alighting. The general colour of 

 this species is bluish-black above, 

 and rusty-white below. The plu- 

 mage of the thighs is long and 

 silken, and the "'''""-^ "^ ^"'"- notched falcon. -H(»ya/j« bidenut,^. 



paratively short. 



We now come to a large and important genus of hawks, which is represented in 

 England by the Goshawk. 



This handsome bird is even laiger than the jerlalcon, the length of an adult male 

 being eighteen inches, and that of his mate rather more than two feet. It is not, however, 

 so powerful or so swift-winged a bird as the jerfalcon, and its mode of taking prey is 

 entirely different. The jerialcon dashes at every flying creature that may take its fancy, 

 and attacks successfully the largest winged game. But the Goshawk, although possessed 

 of the most undaunted courage and of great muscular power, is unable to cope with such 



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