Genus— I EEACIDEA. 
Ieracidea Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. m., pi. 43, 
Apl. 1838 . . . . . . . . . . . . Type I. herigora. 
Also spelt — 
Hieracidea Strickland, Annals. Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. VI., 416, 1841. 
Jeracidea Kaup, Classif. Sang, and Vogel., pp. 102, 104, 1844. 
Jeracidia Bonaparte, Rev. Mag. Zool. 1854, p. 535. 
Medium-sized Ealconine birds with long wings, long legs and small feet, small 
bills and long tail. 
The bill is Ealconine but weak, with a very small cere almost hidden by 
the feathers of the fore-head. 
The wing is long with the third primary longest : the second almost 
equals it but is less ; while though the first primary is long, it is less than the 
fourth. 
The tail is long and rounded. 
The legs are long and the feet small, the tarsus being more than one and 
a half times the length of the middle toe, which is not especially lengthened. 
The tarsus has the usual covering of reticulate scales, but they are so coarse 
as to resemble scutes on the front. 
This genus, differentiated by Gould, has been recognised by genus- 
lumpers who have lumped Cerchneis, which is quite inconsistent, as Cerchneis 
differs just as markedly from Falco as Ieracidea does. The latter is a most 
peculiar Austral evolution, and superficially its nearest relation cannot be 
definitely determined. It is remarkable, as hereafter shown, for\^ its 
coloration, a dark phase, probably comparatively recently acquired, being 
constantly specifically separated. 
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