FALGONIB^ — FALCONING : FALCONS. 



535 



forward to invade the breast (this is the rule in European birds, the exception, though not a 

 rare one, in American birds). Tail and its upper coverts regularly and closely barred with 

 blackish and ashy-gray, the interspacing best marked on the inner webs, and all th(; feathers 

 narrowly tipped with white or whitish. Primaries all showing uniform blackish on their ex- 

 posed surfaces, but on the inner webs seen to be marked with numerous regular and close-set 

 spots of white, whitish, or muddy bufi', for the most part isolated within the webs, but on the 



Fig 377. —Peregrine Falcon, or Duck Hawk, J nat. size. (From Brelim.) 



inner primaries and secondaries, and toward the bases of all, becoming or tending to become bars 

 reaching the edge of the feather. Bill blue-black; cere and much of base of bill yellow; 

 feet yellow ; claws blackish. Size very variable ; length of a good-sized 9 i 19.00 ; extent 

 45.00; wing 14.50 ; tail 7.00. ^ averaging smaller; wing 12.50; tail 6.00; a usual range, 

 sex not considered, is, wing 11.50-14.00 ; tail 6.00-8.00 ; tarsus 1.75-2.10 ; middle toe 

 without claw rather more. Young : Recognizably similar to the adults in general characters ; 

 not barred below, but there more or less extensively and heavily streaked lengthwise ; upper 



