Raptores of South America. 349 



abundant in all the countries;of the southern continent. The kites (sub- 

 genus Nauclerus, Vigors, and Elanus, Sauvigny,) are from America 

 and Africa ; those of the first sub-genus, at least the Nauclerusjiir- 

 catus, Vig. hovers for whole days over the surface of lakes and 

 marshes. The buzzards (Buteo) are also common to the two worlds ; 

 but we believe them to be much more numerous in America than in 

 Europe, and even than in Africa, the greater extent of marshes and 

 plains, occasionally tufted with woods, being highly favourable to 

 their mode of life. They are found in all latitudes, from Patago- 

 nia to the equator, and from the level of the sea to a very great height 

 on the Andes. The same thing may be said of the harriers (Circus) 

 which, pretty nearly allied by their manners, are likewise widely 

 diffused in America, but occur only in woody plains. 



The Falconidse inhabit both continents, but are much less nume- 

 rous in species in the new than in the old world. They are migra- 

 tory birds, not more fierce than our European kestril, but extreme- 

 ly well adapted for the chase. After the conquest, they were em- 

 ployed for hunting tinamous ; and it is not long since they were used 

 in Peru and Bolivia for the same purpose. 



The nocturnal birds of prey, or Strixidae, included in the Linnean 

 genus Strix, which have with propriety been formed into a tribe dis- 

 tinct from the other rapacious birds, are equally spread over both 

 continents. Such relations exist between the European owl (Strix 

 jlammea) and its analogue in America, that it would be difficult to 

 say exactly whether these species are not identical. The American 

 owls are equally fitted with those of Europe to inspire alarm in the 

 timid. They live in inhabited places, in old houses or churches, and 

 among rocks in the deserts, occupying all latitudes and elevations. 

 The barred Eagle-owl (St. Virginiana, Gm. ?) is found only in the 

 forests of the temperate regions of South America, under all latitudes, 

 ' representing our large Eagle-Dwl, (Bubo maximus, Sibb.) of France. 

 The " Cheveches" * (Noctua, Savig.) which abound on both conti- 

 nents, occur in like manner under the most different latitudes, and 

 from the shore of the sea to 17,000 French feet above it. All these 

 are noisy birds, and they impart an additional gloom by their melan- 

 choly accents, to the vast solitudes which everywhere surround the 

 traveller in South America. There are two species which never ap- 

 proach wooded places, but alight in the immense savannahs, or the 

 arid summits of mountains, and one of them occasionally lurks in 

 the burrows formed by mammiferous animals.t Scops belongs to 

 the warm and temperate regions of the two continents. 



* " Le type du genre Cheveche est le Strix Nyctea, Gm." Less. Mon. d'Orn. 

 i. 100. 



f Perhaps the Ulula cunicularia, Feuill. 



