THE BLACK CAEAOAEA. 



49 



not from want of will, but merely that she felt full assurance that the power and courac^e 

 of her lord were quite sufficient for the deed. She now sails to the spot where he eagerly 

 awaits her, and when she has arrived, they together turn the breast of the luckless swan 

 upwards, and gorge themselves with gore." 



The Bald Eagle is found throughout the whole of North America, and may be seen 

 haunting the greater part of the sea-coasts, as well as the mouths of the large rivers. 



The Eed-theoated Falcon, which affords a good example of the genus Ibycter, is a 

 native of South America. 



The birds comprising this genus are remarkable for the convexity of the upper 

 mandible, and the semi-blunt, notched lower mandible. The claws are sharp, and the 

 cheeks, the throat, and part of 

 the crop are naked. This species 

 is a very handsome one, the gene- 

 ral tint of the plumage being a 

 very deep blue on the back and 

 the upper surface, and reddish- 

 white below. The neck has a pur- 

 plish-red hue, from which the bird 

 derives its popular name, the claws 

 are black, the feet and cere yellow, 

 and the beak a deep blue. This 

 bird has been known under a 

 variety of names, such as the Little 

 American Eagle, the Bare-necked 

 Falcon, the White-billed Ibycter, 

 the Bare-necked Polyborus, to- 

 gether with many similar appel- 

 lations. The habits of the bird 

 are not known. 



Closely related to the preced- 

 ing Bird is the Black Caeacaea, 

 also a native of South America. 

 This is a much darker bu^d than 

 the Eed-throated Falcon, the back 

 and upper parts being blue-black, 

 and the rounded tail white only at 

 its base. The feet are yellow, the 

 beak and claws black, the cere a 

 grey-brown, and the space round 

 the eyes devoid of feathers, and 

 flesh-coloured. On account of the 

 short and stout beak, and the large 

 tarsus, this species was formerly 

 placed in a separate genus, with 

 the title of Daptrius, 



The Caeeion Hawks, as the 

 Caeacaeas are popularly termed, 

 are natives of Southern America, 

 and from their great numbers, 



their boldness, and their unpleasant habits, are sufficiently familiar to any one who has 

 had occasion to travel in the country where they teem. There are several species of 

 Caracaras, which are placed in one genus, and are very similar in their habits to the 

 vultures, but on a smaller scale. 



2. B 



RED-THROATED FALCO'S.—ilycier Americ&nm 



