

Order I. ACCIPTTRES. 



Family I. Falconid^. 



The sixth Subfamily, 



ACCIPITRINJE, or Sparrowhawks, 



have the Bill short, much arched from the base to the tip, which is acute ; the sides compressed ; and the 

 lateral margins greatly festooned : the Wings generally long : the Tail ample : the Tarsi lengthened, and 

 shielded in front : the Toes of various lengths, and generally slender ; and the Claws long and very acute. 



Astur Lacejj.* 



Bill short, broad at the base, and with the sides gradually compressed to the tip ; the culmen elevated, 

 and much arched to the tip, which is acute, and the lateral margins festooned in the middle ; the nostrils 

 large, suboval, and placed in the basal cere. Wings long, reaching to the middle of the tail ; with the 

 third, fourth, and fifth quills nearly equal and longest. Tail long and broad. Tarsi rather longer than 

 the middle toe ; the anterior and posterior sides covered with broad transverse scales. Toes more or less 

 lengthened, strong, and padded beneath each joint; the lateral toes unequal; the inner and hind ones 

 equally long and strong, and armed with long, strong, curved claws. 



They are found scattered throughout the world, and are generally observed in wooded districts, but are sometimes 

 seen in mountainous countries. Their flight is very rapid ; and they always strike their prey while on the wing. They 

 often lurk about poultry-yards, destroying the stock contained in them. Wild ducks and others of the feathered tribe, 

 as well as hares and rabbits, form their principal food. The nests of these birds are generally placed on lofty trees, and 

 the female lays from two to four eggs. 



1. A. palumbarius (Linn.) Bechst. PI. enl. 418. — Falco galli- 

 narius Gmel. PI. enl. 4,61. 423. ; F. gentilis Linn. ; F. albescens 

 Bodd. ; Accipiter astur Pall. Zoogr. t. ] 1., Gould, B. of Eur. i. pi. 

 ] 7. ; Astur gallinarum Brehm. 



2. A. atricapillus (Wils.) Amer. Orn. pi. 52. f. 3 Falco regalis 



Temm. PI. col. 495. ; Daedalion pictum Less. Fauna Bor. Amer. 

 Birds, pi. 26., Jard. and Selby, 111. Orn. pi. 121. 



3. A. melanoleucus A. Smith, 111. S. Afr. Zool. pi. 18. — Astur 

 Smithii Kaup, Isis, 1847- p. 196. 



4. A. radiatus (Lath.) G. R. Gray, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. pi. 

 121., Lamb, Icon. ined. i. 38., Gould, B. of Austr. pi. . — 

 Haliaetus Calei Fig. % Horsf. 



5. A.unicinctus (Temm.) PI. col. 313. — Falco anihiacums Licht. j 

 F. Harrissii Audub. B. of Amer. pi. 392. ; Polyborus tsniurus 

 Tschudi ; Type of Spizageranus Kaup (1845). 



6. A. nova hollandice (Gmel.) Cuv. Jard. and Selby, 111. Orn. 

 pi. 1. — Falco albus Shaw ; Sparvius niveus Vieill. ; Daedalion can- 



didum Less.; F. leucaetos Forst.; Astur Rayii Viy. 6f Horsf.; F. clarus 

 Lath. Lamb, Icon. ined. 11. S.; Type of Leucospiza Kaup (1844). 



7. A. trivirgatus (Temm.) Cuv. PI. col. 303. — Astur cristatus 

 O. R. Gray ; A. palumbarius Jerd. ; A. indicus Hodgs. ; Spizaetus 

 ruflstinctus M'Clell.; Type of Lophospiza Kaup (1844). 



8. A. nitidus (Lath.) D'Orb. & Lafr. — Asturina cinerea Vieill. 

 Gal. des Ois. t. 20.,- Falco striolata Temm. PI. col. 87. 294.; Type 

 of Asturina Fieill. (1816). 



9. A. poliogaster (Temm.) Cuv. PI. col. 264. 295. — Nisus 

 pileatus Tschudi. 



10. A. leucorrhous (Quoy & Gaim.) G. R. Gray, Voy. de l'Ura- 

 nie, t. 13. 



11. A. magnirostris (Gmel.) G. R. Gray. — Falco insectivorus 

 Spix, Av. Bras. t. 8 a., PI. col. 86., PI. enl. 464. ; Type of Rupornis 

 Kaup (1844). 



12. A. longicaudus (Gam.) Voy. de la Coqu. t. 10. 



13. A. albifrons Kaup, Isis, 1847- P- 200. t. . f. 



* Established by Lace'pede {Mem. de tlnst.) in 1800 or 1801. In 1809 Savigny proposed Daedalion; in 1816 Vieillot used Sparvius; 

 while in 1844 Dr. Kaup has formed two divisions, viz. Leucospiza et Lophospiza, which I consider to be coequal with the one employed. 

 It also embraces Asturina of Vieillot (1816), Rupornis (1844) and Spizageranus (1845) of Dr. Kaup. 



