24 CLASS AVES. 



The Falcons properly so called, (Falco, Bechstein) 

 commonly called the noble birds of prey. 



Form the first. They are, for their relative size, the 

 most courageous of the whole ; their offensive arms, 

 and the power of their wings^ are proportioned to 

 their courage. Their beak, bending from its base, 

 has a sharp tooth on each side, at the point. The 

 second quill feather is the longest ; but the first is 

 nearly as long, rendering the entire wing longer 

 and more pointed. From these premises result pe- 

 culiar habits ; the length of the quill feather weak- 

 ens their efforts at vertical flight, and renders it 

 in a still air very oblique forward, and obliges them, 

 when they wish to rise directly, to fly against the 

 wind. They are very tractable birds, and are the 

 most used in falconry, being taught to pursue game, 

 and to return when called. All of them have the 

 wings as long and longer than the tail. 



The Common or Peregrine Falcon, {Falco Communis, 

 Gm.*) 



As big as a fowl, is always known by a sort of tri- 

 angular black spot on the cheek ; for the rest it 

 varies in colour nearly as follows : the young has the 

 upper part brown, and the feathers edged with red- 



* We must not admit the pretended variety of F. communis, 

 collected by Gmelin : thus the var. a, Frisch, 74, is a buzzard, 

 I idem, 73, is a rough-footed buzzard, e id. 80. The bird of St. 

 Martin, 3- id. 76, is a buzzard rather paler than common ; k Aldrov., 

 a distinct species, &c. The F. Islandicus, barbarus et peregrinus, 

 may, indeed, be no other than the common hawk in different 

 states of moulting. 



