FALCONING. FALCO. 49 



each side near the tip, which is truncate. Mouth wide ; 

 tongue short, fleshy, sagittate and papillate at the base, con- 

 cave above, with the sides nearly parallel, the tip rounded 

 and emarginate ; oesophagus wide, with a large crop ; pro- 

 ventriculus wide ; stomach large, round, its muscular coat 

 very thin ; intestine of moderate length and width ; cloaca 

 elliptical or globular, very large. Nostrils round, with a 

 central papilla. Eyes large, with the superciliary ridge pro- 

 minent. Aperture of ear round, rather large. Head large, 

 round, flattened above ; neck short ; body compact, firm, 

 muscular. Feet of moderate length, stout ; tarsus short, 

 rounded, covered with scales, of which the anterior are larger 

 and somewhat hexagonal ; toes strong, scutellate above, the 

 first short, the third much longer than the fourth, which 

 exceeds the second, and is connected by a basal membrane ; 

 claws long, well curved, flat beneath, tapering to a fine point. 

 Plumage generally compact ; feathers of the head short and 

 narrow, of the back and breast ovate or oblong ; wings very 

 long and pointed, the second quill longest, the first little 

 shorter, one or both having the inner web abruptly cut out ; 

 tail long, broad, rounded. 



The Falcons, which are considered as the typical or pre- 

 eminently characteristic birds of this family, are generally 

 distributed. Being compact and muscular, they fly by regular 

 beats, sailing little, and descend perpendicularly or obliquely 

 on their prey, which they capture in the air as well as on 

 the ground. Their food consists of small quadrupeds, birds 

 of various kinds, reptiles, and insects. They breed on rocks, 

 in trees, or on the ground, forming a bulky nest, and laying 

 from three to six roundish or broadly ovate eggs, generally 

 speckled or spotted with red or brown. The young are 

 covered with thick white down. The males in this genus are 

 much smaller than the females. Six species occur in Britain. 



10. FALCO GYKFALCO. THE GYRFALCON. 



Adult of both sexes white, having the upper parts marked 

 with semilunar or sagittiform dark grey spots ; the bill light 

 blue, the cere and feet pale yellow. Young brownish-grey 

 above, spotted with yellowish or reddish-white, the tail with 

 numerous light bars, which on the middle feathers are gene- 



D 



