10 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The osteology of all of them has been studied by me, from 

 abundance of material. The first named has recently been elimi- 

 nated from 'our avifauna. 



Coming next to the eagles — our avifauna offers the following 

 genera and species, viz : 



Aquila chrysaetos Haliaetus albicilla 



Thrasaetus harpyia Haliaetus leucocephalus, 



and of them I have seen skeletons of Haliatus leucoce- 

 phalus, and Aquila chrysaetos, and some foreign 

 forms. There has recently ibeen added to our list H. 1. alas- 

 canus. 



Some 14 or 15 species of the genus Falco are represented in the 

 avifauna of this country, and I have been permitted to examine 

 skeletons of a number of them, as for instance — Falco island- 

 u s , Falco columbarius, Falco mexicanus, 

 Falco sparverius, Falco rusticolus gyr falco, 

 and others. 



Of the caracaras we have 



Polyborus cheriway Polyborus lutosus 



and I see on the list of my material from the United States National 

 Museum, Polyborus tharus, Pofyborus. a u d u - 

 b o n i , which will probably answer for the skeletal characters of 

 these birds. I am also indebted to Mr Lucas for a complete skeleton, 

 Polyborus lutosus, loaned from his private cabinet. 



Ospreys complete our Falconidae, and we have the well known 

 cosmopolitan type Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. 

 The museum skeleton has been seen by me, and Air Philip Laurent 

 of Philadelphia has kindly sent me a complete one of his own col- 

 lecting. Its osteology is especially interesting. 



Skeletons of foreign hawks, kites, eagles etc. have also been 

 studied in connection with the preparation of the present treatise, as 

 Geranospizias niger, Herpetotheres, "N i s u s b i - 

 color, Ibycter, Micrastur, Milvago, Rupornis, Gypogeranus, and 

 a number of others. 



CATHARTIDAE 



Great pneumaticity characterizes nearly all the bones of the 

 skeleton of any one of the species of this family, and it is only cer- 

 tain portions of the cranium, lower maxilla and pelvis, the hyoidean 

 arches, the atlas, the tail vertebrae, the bones of the pelvic limb 



