GENUS I. 
FAL C O, Linnasus. 
*• PALCO COO PERU, BONAPARTE. — COOPER’S HAWK. 
BONAPARTE, PLATE X. FIG. I. 
Buffon complained of the difficulty of writing a 
story of birds, because he already knew eight humfred 
fifte leS i and su PP osed that t here might actually exist 
to Ti'" , undrefl > or eveil > said he, venturing as lie thought 
Woi U » lt . ot P ro,J ability, two thousand! What then 
sir ,i. llls embarrassment at present, when nearly 
am ,, ; U! ' aiul s P ct 'ies are known, and fresh discoveries 
T? a*ly augmenting the number? 
subi 1C f d **ficulties attending a general work on this 
bv n ai i e not ’ P cr b a ps, experienced in an equal degree 
ouhr'.r ' V1 ° c0,l | ies himself to the history of a parti- 
„^ 0l JP> or of the species inhabiting a single district, 
a nio„„ le eS ,’ ™. a Work like the present, which is not 
embraepf to one genus or family, but 
different Iril' '- tS SC0 P e species belonging to all the 
vmious VelLti 8 ’ " is , r< ‘ r l uisit ':> i« order to° ex-plain their 
be mom nr ] ° nS aud a . na ^°^ es > ^ at the author should 
nature' ° To S ac r ai,1 . ted with the whole system of 
arr-m re + a ^P*’ without the aid of methodical 
Would nient > a object so vast, and apparently unlimited, 
system ‘‘e . b'Ucc the importance of a correct 
ivhinli classification ; and the construction of one 
affi,.;.- s la !. exhibit, as far as practicable, the true 
n, . s ° objects, has exercised the attention of the 
study of nature mindS ^ haVe bee “ cm P lo y ecl the 
