FALCONINiE. 



II 



Tinnunculus Viei/L* 



The forms agree with those of Falco. But the Tarsi are more or less lengthened, strong, and covered 

 in front with large transverse hexagonal scales. Toes moderate and strong. 



The birds of this division are found in various localities of the globe. They possess a peculiar gracefulness of flight, 

 which is rather irregular, occasionally suspending themselves in the air, hovering over a particular spot for a minute or two, 

 by means of an almost invisible quivering motion of the wings, and then shooting off in another direction. Small birds, 

 mice, and lizards form the principal food of these birds : but, in summer, they are said to hunt cockchafers, of which 

 they seize one in each claw and eat them whilst flying ; and Wilson observes that, when grasshoppers are plentiful, 

 they form a considerable part of the food of the American species. The nest is composed of a few sticks loosely put 

 together, and is placed on a rock or in a hollow tree. The eggs are from four to six in number. 



1. T. alaudarius (Briss.) G. R. Gray, PL enl. 401. 471.— Falco 

 Tinnunculus Linn. ; Falco brunneus Bechst. ; Falco fasciatus Hetz. 



2. ? T. gracilis (Less.) Tr. d'Orn. 93. 



3. T. interstinctus (M'Clell.) Proc. Z. S. 1839. 154. 



4. T. rupicolus (Daucl.) Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afr. t. 35. - Falco 

 capensis Shaiv. 



5. T. rupicoloides (A. Smith). 



6. T. punetatus (Cuv.) PL col. 45. 



7. T. Cenchris (Naum.) Pr. Bonap. Vieill. Faun. Franc, t. 36. — 

 Falco tinnunculoides Natt. ; Falco tinnuncularius Vieill. ; Falco 

 Naumannii F;isch. ; Falco xanthonyx Natt. ; Type of Tichornis 

 Kaup (1844). 



8. F. cenchmdes (Vig. & Horsf.) Linn. Tr. xiii. 183., Gould's 

 Birds of Austr. pi. 



9. F. . 



f. 2. 



-? Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, &c. Ois. t. 1. 



10. T. sparverius (Linn.) PI. enl. 444. 465., Wils. American 

 Ornithology, pi. 32. f. 2. pi. 16. f. I. — Falco gracilis et F. isabellinus 

 Swains. ; Falco dominicensis Gmel. ; Type of Pcecilornis Kaup 

 (1844). 



11. T. cinnamominus (Swains.) Two Cent, and a Quarter, p. 281. 

 Vieill. Ois. d'Amer. Sept. t. 12, 13. ? 



12. T. sparveroides (Vigors), Zool. Journ. iii. 436., Voy. 1' He de 

 Cuba, Ois. t. 1. 



13. T. vespertinus (Linn.) PL enl. 431., Pall. Zoogr. t. 6., Kittl. 

 Kupf. der Vogel, t. 3. f. 1. — Falco rufipes Beseke ; Type of Ery- 

 thropus Boie (1828). 



Ieuax Vigors.^ 



Bill moderate, compressed, and the upper mandible strongly and sharply bidentated. Wings shorter 

 than the tail, with the second and third quills the longest, and slightly notched near the tip. Tarsi 

 strong, moderate, covered in front with transverse scales. Toes lengthened, strong, the lateral ones 

 nearly equal, and all armed with strong compressed claws. 



The birds of this subgenus are found only in India and its isles ; and their habits and manners are at present 

 unknown. 



1. I. ccerulescens (Linn.) Edwards' Birds, pi. 108. — Falco ! 

 bengalensis Briss. 



2. I. malnyensis Strickl. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1844. p. 33., PL 

 col. 97 • — Falco cserulescens Kittl. Kupf. Nat. der Vog. t. 3. f. 2. 

 — Falco fringillarius Drap. ? 



3. I. erythrogenys Vigors, Proc. Z. S. 1831. 96. 



4. I. melanoleucus Blyth, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1844. p. 35. 



5. I. entolmus Hodgs. — Falco cserulescens var. Lath. 



6. I. sericeus (Kittl.) Mem. de l'Acad. Imper. St. Petersb. 1835. 

 p. 1., t. 1. Kittl. Kupf. Nat. der Vog. t. 3. f. 3. — Falco Gironnierii 



Eydoux <Sf Souley. Voy. de la Bonite, Ois. t. 1. 



* Established by Vieillot (Ois. d'Amer. Sept.) in 1807. Cerchneis of M. Boie (1826), Mgypius of M. Kaup (1829), Falcula of 

 Mr. Hodgson (1837), and Tichornis of M. Kaup ('844) are coequal wiih the name employed. It embraces Poecilornis of M. Kaup 

 (1844), and Erythropns of M. Brehm (1828) ; and Pannychistes of M. Kaup (1829) is coequal with the latter. 



t This was also established by Vigors (Zool. Journ. i. p. 328.) in 1824. 



