Primary Feathers in Flight. 163 



ginate, a few of the family Ardredae or herons, birds that fre- 

 quently both soar and coast, and other large-winged water- 

 fowl. In case of a few small birds, notably some of the family 

 Tyrannidae, or flycatchers, one or two of the primaries are 

 emarginate. These birds are " insect hawks " and dive and 

 sail with set wings for their pre} 7 , and the formation may be 

 more than rudimentary in this case. 



In almost, if not in every instance where emarginations are 

 present, the species is one which frequently coasts with set 

 wings or dives through the air. In many species the emargi- 

 nate formation of the primaries is present but in far less degree 

 than in those above mentioned. In a large number it is rudi- 

 mentary or wanting. 



Important examples of North American species having 

 emarginate primaries are as follows : 



The JBald Eagle, H. leucocephalus, and Golden Eagle, A. 

 chrysaetus, each have six primaries deeply emarginate, the 

 Ospreyj P. haliaetus carolinensis, having four. The JButeos, 

 or buzzard hawks, have three to five primaries emarginate. 

 In early editions of Cones' Key of North American Birds 

 this sub-family was classified as follows : " Heavy weights five 

 outer primaries cut," containing one example, now Parabuteo 

 unicincfais harrisi : Harris's Buzzard, "Heavy weights, four 

 outer primaries cut," B. albocaudatus sennelti, B. borealis, 

 the latter the familiar large Red-tailed hawk, and several varie- 

 ties of this species. 



Light weights; "four outer primaries cut," B. lineatus, B. 

 abbrevtatus, etc. 



Light weights : " three outer primaries cut," comprising B. 

 swainsoni and B. latissimus, the second being the Broad- 

 winged hawk mentioned frequently in the present paper. 



In the sub-genus Archibuteo the species have from two to 

 five outer primaries emarginate, and in Asturina or hawk- 

 like buzzards, four. 



In the sub-family Accipitrinae, or the true hawks, the num- 

 ber of emarginate primaries are A. atricapillus 4, A. cooperi 

 4, A. velox 5. . 



In the sub-family of Falco?iinae, or falcons, the first one or 

 two outer primaries are emarginate. In the sub-family of 

 Milvinae, or kites, R. sociabilis, or the Eveglade kite, has five 

 outer primaries emarginate, the other species in this sub-family 

 having but two primaries emarginate. 



In the case of the sub-order Siriges, or owls, the number of 

 emarginate primaries varies from one to six ; some examples 

 are as follows ; S. cinerea (Great grey owl of Canada) has five 

 outer primaries emarginate, 8. nebulosa 4, JV. nyctea (Snowy 

 owl) 4, M. asio4:, B. viginianus 3, A. wilsonianus 1, A. accipi- 

 trinus 1. 



