﻿BIRDS OF PREY. FALCONS. 



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exist, there also these deadly enemies are to be found. 

 From the arctic regions to the most southern limits of 

 Australia, and from the western shores of Africa to 

 the vast forests of Brazil, different races of the falcons 

 abound ; and yet there are very few species which in- 

 habit widely remote countries. Some of those whose 

 chief metropolis is in Europe, extend their range to the 

 most northern parts of the new world, and even spread 

 in the contrary direction to the more temperate latitudes 

 of Asia ; but the species of tropical America are totally 

 different from those of western Africa, although many 

 of these latter extend their range to the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and some few appear, also, to be inhabitants of 

 India. We are by no means satisfied of the truth of 

 the assertion, that certain species, inhabiting New Hol- 

 land, are specifically the same as their counterparts in 

 Europe ; but this much is certain, that Australia, no 

 less than southern Africa, possesses species peculiar to 

 their respective regions. From the first of these coun- 

 tries we have a hawk of a pure white colour, and a 

 noble eagle, feathered to the toes, possessing the un- 

 usual peculiarity of a wedge-shaped or cuneated tail. It 

 is observed that falcons are invariably much more nu- 

 merous on continents than on islands : they love a wide 

 extent of country, which is not only congenial to their 

 habits, but absolutely essential to a fitting supply of 

 daily food. The plumage of these birds, although des- 

 titute of a bright or gay assemblage of colours, is, in 

 many instances, particularly elegant. The upper parts 

 are generally of different shades of brown or slate colour ; 

 sometimes, as in the lesser American falcons, of a bright 

 rufous, variegated with spots : the under plumage has 

 generally a white ground, often beautifully marked with 

 pear-shaped spots, or transversely banded with narrow 

 parallel lines of grey. The eye is deep sunk in the 

 head ; and the bone which supports the eyebrows, both 

 in this and in the owl family, is unusually prominent. 



(238.) Such are the chief distinctions of the family 

 before us; — a family whose natural arrangement has 



