1 92 



DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. 



thrush, and he onc«j sliot a male witli a living and pai-tially plucked swallow in 

 its talons. All the species nest in hollow trees, inakinj^ 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 



15Lack-legcji;d i'alcu.vict and its prey (J nat. size). 



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

 ha) id at the ((uarry. 



Mississippi The three remaining genera of falcons are distinguished from the 



Falcon. foregoing by their oval nosti'ils being provided with an overhanging 

 ilaj) (jf skin. In this group the oval nostrils have the long axis parallel or obli([ue 

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

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

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

 oth(!r two (Baza and Harpagu-n) the beak has two notches, and the wing does not 

 reach the end of the tail. The Mississippi falcon (Tctlnui, mi>islssl/>pienfiis) is one 

 of the two American species which ara the solo repi-(!scntatives of the genus, and a)-e 

 charactei-ised by the leaden-black pluniage of tlu; uj)))(')--));ii'ts, ami the giey head, 

 neck, and under-parts. In the figui-ed species the secondary fcathei-s of the wing 

 are silveiy grej', like the head: whereas in the othei- (/. plmnhca) they are of 

 the same black hue as th(i pi-imai'ics : this sjx'cics being also distinguishcil by the 

 presence of three white bars on the tail. 'J'he Mississipjn falcon, which i-anges 

 from the Southern United States to Ouatcnnala, is }'^h inches in length ; while the 

 other species, which is a fiaction larger, extends from Mexico to Ihazil. 



