Subfamily FALCONING. 



The term Falconince has been restricted in most previous arrange- 

 ments to the true falcons {=Falcones of the present system), but in view 

 of its being a subfamily-name it becomes necessary to make it cover all 

 the forms allied to these by subfamily-characters ; hence the wider sig- 

 nification given it here. 



The subfamily FaUonince is composed of four well-defined groups, 

 the Falcones, Polybori, Micrastures, and Serpetotheres, which are distin- 

 guished as follows : 

 A. — Posterior toe abbreviated, very much shorter than the lateral pair ; 



tarsi and toes covered with small hexagonal scales, larger in 



front. 



a. Nostril a small, round, or oblique opening, with a bony rimmed 



margin and central tubercle. (Plate XII, Figs. 1-3.) 

 1. Superior tomium with a conspicuous tooth, and inferior 

 tomium with a corresponding notch. (Plate XII, Fig. 2, 

 and Plate XV, Fig. 1.) Superciliary process of the lach- 

 rymal elongated, narrow, reaching nearly across the orbit. 

 (PI. XIII, Fig. 2.) Posterior margin of the sternum nearly 

 even, with a pair of large oval foramina. One or two 

 outer primaries with their inner webs emarginated near 

 their tips. (Plate XVII, Figs. 1 and 2.) . .Group 1, Falcones, 

 2. Tomia without tooth or notch.* 



Superciliary process Of the lachrymal abbreviated, reaching 

 only half-way across the orbit. (Plate XIII, Fig. 1.) Pos- 

 terior margin of the sternum with a pair of deep indenta- 

 tions. Three or more outer primaries with their inner 

 webs sinuated near the middle portion. (Plate XVII, 

 Figs. 3 and 4.) Group 2, Polybori, 



b. IJfostril a large opening without bony-rimmed margin or central 



tubercle. (Plate XII, Fig. 4.) 



3. Superciliary process of the lachrymal elongated, broad, ex- 



tending nearly across the orbit. (Plate XIII, Fig. .4.) 

 Tomia without tooth or notch. (Plate XII, Fig. 4, and 

 Plate XIV, Fig. 2.) Posterior margin of the sternum as in 

 Falcones. Four or more outer primaries with inner webs 

 sinuated near the middle portion. . .Group 3, Micrastures, 

 B.— Posterior toe elongated, almost equal to the lateral pair. Tarsi and 

 toes covered uniformly with thiu, rough, imbricated scales. 



4. Tomia without tooth or notch. (Plate XII, Fig. 3, and Plate 



XIV, Fig. 1.) Nostril as in Falcones and Polybori. Su- 

 perciliary process of the lachrymal elongated, very broad, 

 reaching nearly across the orbit. (Plate XIII, Fig. 3.) 

 Posterior margin of the sternum nearly even, entire, and 

 without foramina. Primaries as in Polybori and Micras- 

 tures Group 4, Herpetotheres^ 



The pterylography of the members of this subfamily affords some 

 very important diagnostic characters. From the descriptions given 

 by Nitzscht (pp. 55-57), the following arrangeme nt may be tabulated, 



* Though faint indications of these are observable in some geneva ( Milvago and Phalco- 

 hcenas (see Plate XV, Fig. 2) in the horny sheath, they cannot be detected in the bone of 

 the bill. (See Plate XII, Fig. 1.) 



+ Nitzsch's Pterylography, translated from the German, edited by Philip Lutley bclater, 

 M. A., Ph. D., F. E. §., secretary to theZoologioal Society of Loudon. London : Published 

 for the Ray Society, by Robert Hardwicke, 193 Piccadilly. 1867. pp. 118, ppl. 10. 



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