Falcons

Accipitrine birds of medium or small size, having short, strong beak, with a sharp hook at tip and a strong tooth on each side of upper mandible; legs short and strong, middle toe long, claws much curved and sharp, tail short and stiff, wings long and pointed. There are ab. 50 species, some known as hawks. True falcons have dark-brown irides, and in hunting prey rise high in air above, and swoop down. Hawks chase the prey near the ground. F. peregrin us is the most IMG:content-0018.jpg:[graphic][merged small] common falcon, dark-bluish above and white below with bars; the young are brownish above and streaked below. The largest falcon is F. gyrfalco of the Scand in avian Mountains. Among small falcons are the sparrow-hawk of the U. S. and the kestrel of Europe. They feed on mice and insects. Most falcons take birds, att a attacking some even larger than themselves. They were trained for hunting the heron, sparrow, etc., in the sport, FALCONRY (q.v.). Faldstool. Litany desk in Anglican churches. Faleme. Branch of the Senegal R., in W. Africa.