64 



THE CAYENNE FALCON. 



The wings are remarkably long in this species, and the legs short and feathered, a 

 stracture which gives clear indication that the bird is strong on the wing, and excels 

 more in swiftness and activity of flight than in strength of beak or clutch of talons. In 

 niany of its habits, this species closely resembles the swallow-tailed falcon, and, like that 

 bird, is capable of chasing and capturing insects on the wing. The nest of the Black- 

 winged Falcon is rather large, and is generally built on a convenient forked branch. It 

 is usually lined with moss and feathers, and contains four or five whitish eggs. Although 

 the bird may often be seen darting at the crows, shrikes, and other predaceous birds that 

 may pass near its residence, it has no intention of killing or eating them, but only wishes 

 to drive them away from the vicinity of its home. 



The head and neck of the Black- winged Falcon are silver-grey, the centres of its wings 

 are black, and the primaries and secondaries are greyish-brown, with grey edges. The 

 shoulder and the wings, breast, abdomen, and tail are pure white ; the cere and toes are 

 yellow, and the bill and claws black. When young, the back is b^own, each feather being 

 tipped with white, and the breast is brown spotted with white. 



The Ceook-billed Falcon 

 derives its name from the shape 

 of the beak, which is rather long 

 and narrow, and is curved over at 

 the point so as to form a rather 

 large and sharp hook. 



The distinctive characteristics 

 in this bird, which was placed in 

 the genus Cymindis, are the short 

 tarsus armed v/ith net-like mark- 

 ings, and half-clothed with feathers 

 down their front, the wings shorter 

 than the tail, and small narrow 

 nostrils, which are so closely con- 

 tracted as to resemble a mere cleft 

 in the beak. The word Cymindis 

 is Greek, and ought rather to have 

 been used to designate the night- 

 jar than this Falcon. This species 

 possesses scales as well as reticu- 

 lation upon the front of the tarsus. 

 Its colour when adult is a leaden- 

 blue, or grey on the upper portions 

 of the body, and paler beneath. 

 The tail is white at the base, and 

 deepens into an orange-grey at the 

 extremity. Its quill feathers are 

 edged with a brownish ash, and 

 the feet and cere are yellow. In 

 its earlier stages of existence, the 

 bird is of an almost uniform 

 brown, relieved by reddish hues on the cap of each feather, a yellow stripe runs beneath 

 the eyes, and little patches of the same colour appear on the cheeks, and the front of the 

 neck is greyish-white. All the species that belong to this family come from America. 



There is another allied species called the Cayenne Falcon (Cymindis Cayanensis), 

 whose specific name announces its habitation. This species is notable for a small tooth or 

 notch at the bend of the beak. The colouring of this species is rather different from that 

 of the former. The general colour of the adiilt bird is white, with a blue-black mantle, 

 an ashy-white head, and pure white bands on the tail. When young, the mantle is 

 variegated with brown and red, and marked here and there with reddish spots. 



CROOK-BILLED FALCON.— Cj/mindis unciwtus. 



