192 



DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. 



thrush, and he once shot a male with a living and partially plucked swallow Jn 

 its talons. All the species nest in hollow trees, making at the bottom of the cavity 

 a pad of the wings of dragon-flies and butterflies, upon which to lay their eggs. 

 The latter are white ; but the number in a clutch does not appear to be ascertained. 



BLACK-LEGGED FALCONET AND ITS PBEY (J nat. size). 



It is said that the Malays train the falconets for hawking, throwing them from the 

 hand at the quarry. 



Mississippi The three remaining genera of falcons are distinguished from the 



Falcon. foregoing by their oval nostrils being provided with an overhanging 

 flap of skin. In this group the oval nostrils have the long axis parallel or oblique 

 to the bill, whereas in the pigmy falcons it is at right angles to it. Of these generaj 

 the one to which the Mississippi falcon belongs is characterised by the bill having 

 but one notch, and by the wings reaching to the tip of the tail; whereas in the 

 other two {Baza and Harpagus) the beak has two notches, and the wing does not 

 reach the end of the tail. The Mississippi falcon (Ictinia mississipjnensis) is one 

 of the two American species which are the sole representatives of the genus, and are 

 characterised by the leaden-black plumage of the upper-parts, and the grey head, 

 neck, and under-parts. In the figured species the secondary feathers of the wing 

 are silvery grey, like the head ; whereas in the other (/. plumhea) they are of 

 the same black hue as the primaries ; this species being also distinguished bj' the 

 presence of three white bars on the tail. The Mississippi falcon, which ranges 

 from the Southern United States to Guatemala, is 13| inches in length ; while the 

 other species, which is a fraction larger, extends from Mexico to Brazil. 



