92 MANUAL 



Urubitinga, The Mexican Black Hawk. 

 Onychotes, Gruber's Hawk. 



Antenor is merged in Buteo by some writers, we confess that we cannot 

 see why in view of its record as a new genus. ' 



Sub-family g AQUILIN-ffi Eagles 



The Eagles would be sufficiently distinguishable from the 

 sub-family preceding them (the Buteoni:n.e) by their mere 

 size alone, provided size were a proper character for so high a 

 division as that of a sub-family. When we add the long, 

 slender, falconine shape of the body, and extremities even ; 

 the strongly curved and sharp-pointed bill and talons ; the 

 compressed basal half of the upper mandible — in distinction 

 from the rather short, stubby, and slightly inclined to de- 

 pressed base in the Buteonin^e — ; and the difference in 

 shape of the feet in the two groups when spread out and the 

 bird is standing upon them — in the Eagles the ends of the 

 toes raising themselves considerably above the base of the 

 tarsus ; we are satisfied that these sub-families are and should 

 be made distinct. The North American families are few, and 

 easily determined. 



Genera, Aquila, The Golden Eagle. 



Haliaetus, The Bald Eagle and ally. 

 Thrasaelus (or Thrasyaetus), The Harpy Eagle. 



FAMILY XXXI PANDIONIDAE THE OSPREYS 



Latin Pandion, a king of Athens. 

 The Ospreys or Fish Hawks are made a separate family from 

 the Falconid.e, (they are usually made a genus under the 

 Eagles, which they very closely resemble in many particu- 

 lars,) chiefly through the reversibility of the outer toe, (which 

 is not reversible in the Falconid.e,) and the curious plumage 

 or rather state of plumage which these birds are known to 

 possess. They resemble, in various ways, several groups : 

 The bill is much like the Eagles, but shorter ; the wings like 

 the Falcons, but rather heavier about the shoulders ; the body 

 like the Buzzard Haicks, but more slender ; and yet all of its 



