36 FALCONS. 



the eyes appear as if they were sunk into the head, and give to 

 the physiognomy of these animals an aspect altogether different 

 from that of the Vultm^es and C4riffins. {Plate ^-^ fig 1, 7, and S.) 

 2S. These birds have a lofty, rapid, and sustained flight ; their 

 sense of sight, which is more extended and clearer than in any 

 other animal, enables them to perceive the smallest prey, when 

 they themselves are so high as to be out of the reach of our vision. 



29. IMost of them feed willingly on flesh while it is yet palpi- 

 tating ; but when pressed by hunger, they do not reflise dead 

 bodies, as it has been generally believed, and instead of eating 

 their prey on the spot as the vultures do, they bear it off to their 

 ejTy ; the largest species attack mammals and birds, others live 

 on fishes, some feed on reptiles, and others are exclusively in- 

 sectivorous. The female is generally a third larger than the 

 male, and for this reason, is often designated under the name of 

 tarsel, Moulting takes place but once a year, and age induces 

 such great change in the plumage of these birds, that naturalists 

 have fi'equently mistaken varieties depending on this cause alone, 

 for distinct species : the young are generally variegated with 

 spots and longitudinal stripes, ^yhile the old ones are more 

 uniform in colour, and are rather striped transversely; they are 

 not clothed in their last or permanent livery until their third, 

 fourth, or even sixth j^ear, and then the colours of their plumage 

 differ according to the sex. 



30. They all seize their prey with their talons ; some, (such 

 as the Falcon, the Kite, &c.) precipitate themselves perpendicu- 

 larly upon the animals they wish to possess ; others, (the Buz- 

 zard and Goshawks, for example) approach obliquely and attack 

 sidewise only. They are, generally, silent and very difficult to 

 tame, although some of them can be trained to hunt on the wing. 



31. This tribe, which embraces a great number of species, is 

 divided mto two prmcipal sections, namely: Noble birds of Prey, 

 and Ignoble birds of Prey, so named, because the former are 

 employed in falconry, and the latter are not ; and each one of 

 these sections is sub-divided in its tm-n, as may be seen in the 

 following table : 



2S. How does the vision of Falcons compare with that of other animals ? 



29. Upon what do the Falcons feed ? 



30. How do they lay hold of their prey ? Are Falcons nuisy birds ? Are 

 they easily tamed ? 



31. How is the tribe of Falcons divided? What genera form the Noble 

 Birds of Prey ? What is the chief distinguishing feature of the Noble birds 

 of Prey ? What genera belong to the Ignoble birds of Prey ? 



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