FALCONID.K 



FALCONIDA 



ami be say* that he liu another of the same natural group iu his 

 cabinet, equally dean-ring a patronymic name. By regarding these 

 as genera, each as he think* U made equivalent to the whole genus 

 of typical falcon* ; whereat, by representing them a* leaser variations, 

 which he consider* them in truth to be, the student immediately 

 perceive* that their station is subordinate. 



The genera into which Mr. Swainaon (' Natural History and Classi- 

 fication of Birds,' 1886) divides the Falcmida are Faico, Actipitcr, 

 fiulro, Cymatdu, and Aquila; and he give* the following table 

 the concentration of hi* remarks in reference to the sub genera of 

 faleo. 



1. Typical Group. 



Grnera of the 



falco. 



Jlarpayu. 



Lofkolt*. 

 Arictda. 



Ganpsooyx. 



I Prc-eininontly typical ; bill 1 

 | acute)/ toothed ; wings > 

 I pointed, rather long. J 



2. Sub-Typical Group, 

 f Wings shorter, rounded ; 1 

 i tarsi with entire transverse V 

 I scales. j 



3. Aberrant Group. 

 Feet short ; head crested. 

 [ Feet small, very short ; soles ' 

 1 broad and flattened ; outer 

 [ toe and claw shortest. 

 I Bill neither notched or (nor) 

 < festooned ; bead small ; 

 [ feet strong. 



Faico. 



Accljiilcr. 



A<[uila. 

 Cymitulit. 



Puteo. 



By throwing each of these columns into their respective circles, 

 and then bringing them into juxtaposition (which he does in the work 

 quoted), the same results, he remarks, will follow. Into the Accipi- 

 trine circle he admits Ictinia provisionally, Accipiter (type), Attttr 

 (Goshawks), Jlaliaettu (//. fondiccriantu), and no more. In the 

 Aquiline circle he retains four ' types,' namely, Pandion, llarpyia, 

 A'/uila, and Ibycter. In the Cymindian or Milvine circle he places 

 1'utybonu, Cymindii, Elantu, ft'auclena, and Circelta, the last with a 

 query, and in the cut of the circle it is not mentioned. In the 

 Buteouine circle Mili-ut, Circtu, and Buleo. 



Mr. Vigors, who as we have seen first proposed the application of 

 the Quinary System to the Falconida, and indeed to the birda in 

 general, thus defines the family which is the subject of our inquiry, 

 and thus follows out his arrangement : 



Falconidae. (Leach.) 



Head plumose. Beak strong, hooked, with a cere at the base. 

 Nostrils lateral, more or less rounded, open and situated in the cere. 

 External toes especially connected with the middle toes. Claws or 

 nails strong, very sharp, very much incurved, and retractile. 



1st Sub-Family, Aquilina. 



Beak long, hooked at the apex only. Fourth quill the longest. 

 * Long-Winged Eagles. 



fliycter (Vieillot). Beak convex above ; lower mandible notched 

 at the apex, and subacute; cere naked; cheeks, throat (gula), and 

 crop (jugulum), featherless ; claw* acute. 



Mr. Vigor* remarks that the type of this genus in Faico aquilinnt 

 of Gmelin, Petit Aigle d'Amerique of Buflbn, and that he believes it 

 still stand* single in the genus. Beak oerulean ; cere and feet yellow; 

 orbits yellow ; irides orange ; body, above, cerulean ; below, red 

 going into white; neck purplish to rufous; claws black. Gmelin 

 give* it a* the Red-Throated Falcon of Latham. U is a native of 

 South America. 



Doptriia (Vieillot). Beak convex above ; lower mandible angular 

 beneath, notched at the apex, obtuse ; cere with Mattered hairs ; 

 orbiU, throat, and crop, featherless ; claw* acute. 



"How far," write* Mr. Vigor*, "the two preceding genera of M. 

 Vieillot are mmdently distinct from each other, or from the remainder 

 of the Naked-Cheeked Eagles, it is not for me to hazard an opinion, 

 without the opportunity of more accurate examination of the bird* 

 than i* at present within our power, and a more accurate knowledge 

 of them than a men description affords us. It would appear however 

 that one group at least, that of Ibycter, is sufficiently dintinguiihed 

 from the other Paleonida with the naked cheeks, by the difference 

 of iU food and habita. The account* which have reached Europe 

 of iU mild and gentle manners and vegeUble food, have even induced 

 some naturalisU to refer it to the Gallinaceous Bird*. I have strong 

 doubt* indeed whether the bird* that compose this genus may not 

 belong to quite a distinct sUtion from the present, and be referrible 

 to one of those groups which I have elsewhere observed to be wanting 

 among the Bird* of Prey, to perfect that chain of affinities which is 

 to be found complete in all the other orders. It in impossible 

 however at present to come to any decision on the subject While 

 our material* for classification are so scanty, the most that U in our 

 power i* to conjecture the place which more perfect information 

 will enable us to assign any group hereafter. For the present we 



Head and foot of Red-Throated Falcon (Ityrtcr aqiiitinta). 



'.(ore us in that situation, between the VullvriJir, 



and the Falconidtr, which they have hitherto been generally supposed 

 to fill." 



D. ater, the Iribin Noir of Virillot, and the Coracara Noir, Faico 

 aterrimtu, of Temminck. Black with bluish reflections; tail white 

 at its base above, and rounded ; beak and claws black ; cere blackish- 

 ash, space round the eyes naked and of a flesh-colour ; feet yellow 

 Length from 14 to 15 inches French. 



It is ix native of Brazil and Guyana. 



Head and foot of Daplriiu mler. 



Pulyboriu (VieillotV Beak compressed above; lower mamlilili- 

 entire and obtuse ; cere covered with hairs, large ; cheeks and throat 

 featherlea* ; crop woolly. 



P. Branlimnt (P. rulyaru, Vieillot), the Brazilian Caracara Eagle. 

 We select Mr. Bennett's description and general history of thi 



