LITTLE RED-KILLED HAWK. 53 



genera, and gave their definitions; but he, like Linnaeus, 

 retained the generic name Falco for each species. I 

 think he was right, and if this were the place for 

 arguing the question, I could easily support this opinion 

 by more logical proof. While admitting, therefore, a 

 certain division into sub-genera, I shall follow the 

 example and authority of Temminck, and adopt one 

 uniform generic name for each of the several great 

 families which I shall have to deal with in the progress 

 of this work. 



I have deviated a little from the arrangement of 

 M. Temminck, in placing the sub-genus Astur before 

 that of Aquila. In this I have followed Schlegel, and 

 I shall do the same with the only species I am called 

 upon to describe of the sub-genus Circus. There are, 

 I think, many sound reasons why these sub-genera 

 should be close to each other. Falco and Astur 

 contain the most typical or perfect divisions of the 

 family, while the Harriers form a good passage from 

 the Hawks to the Eagles. 



Falco gabar is a native of both southern and wes- 

 tern Africa, where it was discovered by Le Vaillant, 

 the end of the last century. He says it was not uncom- 

 mon; that it built in the fork of a high tree; and that 

 its egg, like that of its congener the Goshawk, was 

 white. \Ve know nothing of its habits or propagation 

 in Europe. 



An adult male in the Norwich Museum, has the 

 head, nape, and back of a uniform greyish brown or 

 dark slate-colour; chin, throat, and chest of a lighter 

 grey; the belly, thighs, and under wing coverts white, 

 with delicate, thin, transverse bars of grey. Primary 

 quill feathers hair brown, barred above and below with 

 -a darker tint, the tips being conspicuously margined 



