CHAP, xvni.] BIRDS. 347 



FAMILY 96. FALCONID^E. (6 A I Genera, 3^5 Species.) 



The Falconidse, including the various groups of Hawks, 

 Kites, Buzzards, Eagles, and Falcons, are absolutely cosmopolitan, 

 ranging far into the arctic zone and visiting the most remote 

 oceanic islands. They are abundant in all the great continents 

 and larger islands, preferring open to woody regions. They are 

 divided into several sub-families, the range^ of some of which are 

 restricted. For this family as well as the preceding I follow the 

 arrangement of Mr. Sharpens British Museum Catalogue, and shall 

 give the approximate distribution of each sub-family, as well as 

 of the several genera. 



Sub-family I. POLYBORINJE (2 genera, 10 species), the Neo- 

 tropical region with California and Florida,, Tropical and South 

 Africa. Polyborus (2 sp.), South America, and to California and 

 Florida; Ibycter (8 sp.), Tierra del Fuego to Honduras and 

 Guatemala. 



Cariama and Serpentarius, which Mr. Sharpe puts here, are 

 so anomalous that I think it better to class them in separate 

 families Serpentariidae among the Accipitres, and Cariamidse 

 near the Bustards. 



Sub-family II. ACCIPITRIN^E (l^genera, S^pecies). Cosmopo- 

 litan. Polyboroides (2 sp.), Africa and Madagascar ; Circus (15 sp.), 

 Old and New Worlds, widely scattered, but absent from Eastern 

 Equatorial America, and the Malay Archipelago except Celebes ; 

 Micrastur (7 sp.), and Geranospiza (2 sp.), Tropical parts of Neo- 

 tropical region ; Urotriorchis (1 sp.), West Africa ; Erythrocnema 

 (1 sp.), Chili and La Plata to California and Texas ; Melierax (5 

 sp.), Africa except West African sub-region ; Astur (30 sp.), cos- 

 mopolitan, except the Temperate South American sub-region ; 



