The Hijiory A M I M A L 3. 
329 
F A L C O. 
T H E beak of the Falco is ftrong and uncinated, and the feet have always three 
toes before, and one behind, no one of the anterior ones being capable of turn¬ 
ing backwards. 
Falco cera lutea , pedibus lanatis 3 corpore rufo. 
The ferrugineous Falco } with feathered legs , and the cera yellow. 
This is a very large and beautiful, as well as a very terrible, bird : the fize is that 
of a turky, and the weight not lefs than ten or twelve pounds: the head is large, and 
the beak is remarkably large, and very thick and convex toward the bafe, and at the 
point the upper part of it is three quarters of an inch longer than the under, and bends 
over the other 3 it is of a blackifh colour, and very firm fubftance : it’s bafe is co¬ 
vered with a yellow cera or membrane, in which the noftrils are placed in a tranfverfe 
direction 3 the edges of this upper part of the beak are fharp, and the tip is blacker 
than the reft, which is often rather bluifh than quite black : the opening of the 
mouth is very wide 3 the tongue is in fhape like that of the human fpecies 3 it is round¬ 
ed at the anterior extremity, and has two appendages of a hooked figure on each fide 
at the bafe: the palate is perforated 3 the eyes are very large, and the part of the head, 
immediately over them, is prominent, fo that they feem funk in a kind of hollow 3 
they are very bright and piercing : the iris is greenifh, with a caft of fire colour in it; 
the pupil is black : nature has taken furprizing care to defend them from injuries, for, 
befides the ni&itating membrane which ferves other birds in the place of our eye-lids, 
this has four eye-lids, two above and two below, which it clofes over the eyes at 
pleafure. 
The feathers of the neck are rigid, and of a chefnut brown: the wings are very 
large, and extend to a furprizing breadth 5 they are of a brown colour, as is alfo the 
tail: the whole body is of a dufky, ferrugineous brown, with a few fpots of white on 
the back, and more on the belly: the large feathers of the wings, though extreamly 
long, have that part, which we call the barrel, fhorter than in the goofe-quill3 but it 
is very firm and elaftic, and they make the fineft pens in the world for writing : the 
feathers which cover the body are not large, and toward the lower part of the back 
they are of a darker colour than in any other part, and have fewer fpots. 
The legs are robuft, and are feathered down to the toes 3 the plumage on them is 
brown: the feet are yellow, and the claws are very long, fharp, and terrible, and of 
a bluifh-black 3 they are equal to the toes themfelves in length, and are very thick 
at the bafe: the anterior part of the body is of a brighter, the pofterior of a dufkier, 
brown, and the tail is nearly of the colour of the anterior part of the body, and has 
feveral white fpots on it. 
This is frequent in many parts of Europe 3 the forefts in Germany abound with it, 
and it is met with in fome plenty in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. I have fhot one 
in Charleton foreft in Suffex, and once found a neft there, built in a ftrange wild 
manner, and with four eggs in it. It frequently builds in the high rocky cliffs about 
the Scotch fhores, and in fome of the rocky precipices in Ireland. 
It is a very rapacious and bold bird 3 it will feize on lambs, and, in the time of it's 
having young, fcarce any thing is fafe for it. All the writers on birds have defcribed 
it. Gefner calls it Aquila Germana ; Jonfton, Aquila Gefneri live Chryfaetos aquila 3 
Willughby, Chryfaetos 5 Ray calls it alfo by the fame name. The Swedes call it Or* 
nand 5 we, the Eagle 3 and fome of our writers, the golden Eagle. 
Falco corpore cajlaneo } cera ccerulefcente 3 cruribus 
plumofis . 
The chefnut-coloured Falco , with feathered legs , 
and a bluifto cera . 
This is a very bold and fierce bird: the head is large, and the feathers which co¬ 
ver that and the neck are rigid and long, but narrow : the beak is fhort, but very 
4 P robuft : 
