falconet (falkonet)

[OF. * falconet, *fauconet (= It. It. falconet to;; cf. ML. falconet a, a small cannon), equiv. to OF. fauconnel, faulco neau, F. fauconneau, a young falcon, a piece of ordnance, ance, dim. of faucon, a falcon: see fal con.] 1. A little falcon; specifically, in ornith., a finch-falcon of the Oriental genus Ierax, Hierax, or Microhierax, which contains tiny falcons about six inches long, such as M. cærules cens.-2. A shrike of the genus Falcunculus. Also falconelle.-3t. A kind of cannon in use in the sixteenth century. It is stated to have had a bore of two inches and to have carried a shot of one and a half pounds weight. The standard fixed by Henry II. of France fixes the weight of the shot at 14 ounces poids du roi. Mahomet sent janizaries and nimble footmen with certain falconets and other small pieces, to take the streights. Knolles, Hist. Turks. falcon-eyed (fa'kn-id), a. Having eyes like a falcon's; having bright and keen eyes. A quick brunette, well-moulded, falcon -eyed. Tennyson, Prince , ii. falcon-gentle (fa'kn-jentl), n. [Also written falcon - gentil ; faulcon gentil: gentil, gentle, i. e., noble.] The female and young of the European goshawk, Astur palumbarius . Also gentil or gentle falcon and cryer. falcon-heronert, n. [ME.] A falcon trained to fly at the heron. No gentil haute in falcon - heroneer. Chaucer, Good Women, 1. 1120. Falconidæ (fal-kon'i-dē), n . pl . [NL., Falco ( n- ) +-ida.] The most highly organized and raptorial family of diurnal birds of prey. It is now usually held to cover nearly all diurnal birds of prey, and to be nearly conterminous with the suborder Accipitres , con taining the old-world (not the new-world) vultures, as well as all kinds of hawks, falcons, buzzards, eagles, etc., except, usually, the secretary-birds and the ospreys or fish hawks. The vultures or carrion-feeding birds of prey of the old world were formerly excluded from the limits of this family, but are now brought under it. The characters of the group are nearly the same as those of the suborder Accipitres. The family is variously subdivided, a usual division being into Falcon inæ, falcons; Polybo rine, caracaras; Circinæ, harriers; Accipitrinæ, hawks; Milvina, kites; Buteonine, buzzard-hawks; and Vultu rin a, old-world vultures, when these are brought under Falcon ide. But there is seldom any agreement among ornithologists in this matter. Falcon inæ (fal-kō-nine), n. pl. [NL., the whole organization robust and symmetrical, and the disposition rapacious in the highest degree. The birds used in falconry belong mostly to this subfamily. See cuts under duck - hawk and falcon. falconine (fal'kō-nin), a. and n. I. a. Of or 2125