in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of accipitres, the characters of which are these: the beak is crooked, and furnished with wax at the base; the head is thick-set with feathers, and the tongue is cloven. There are thirty-two species, viz. 1. The coronatus, or crowned eagle of Edwards, with ash-coloured wax; the legs are covered with white downy feathers, interspersed with black spots; the breast is reddish; and there are black belts on the sides. It is a native of Guinea. 2. The melanæus, or black. Black eagle of Ray, has yellowish-wax on the beak; the legs are half covered with feathers; and the body is ash-coloured and streaked with yellow. It is a native of Europe. 3. The leucocephalus, or white-headed eagle of Catesby, is ash coloured, with the head and tail white; the iris of the eye is white, over which is a prominence covered with a yellow skin; the bill and the fear or wax are yellow, as are likewise the legs and feet; and the talons are black. Though it is an eagle of small size, it weighs nine pounds, is strong and full of spirit, preying on lambs, pigs, and fawns. They always make their nests near the sea, or great rivers, and usually upon old, dead pine or cypress trees, continuing to build annually on the same tree till it falls. Tho' he is so formidable to all birds; yet he suffers them to build near his royal nest without molestation; particularly the fishing hawk, herons, &c. which all build on high-trees, and in some places are so near one another that they appear like a rookery. It is a native both of Europe and America. Pl.76.fig.1.4. The offfragus, with yellow wax, and half-feathered legs; it is about the size of a peacock; the feathers are white at the base, iron-coloured in the middle, and black at the points; and the legs are yellow: it is a native of Europe. 5. The chrysaetos, or golden eagle, has yellow wax on the beak, and feathered legs; the body is variegated with a brown and iron colour; and the base of the tail is undulated with an ash-colour: it is a bird of Europe. 6. The fulvus, with yellow wax, feathered legs, a brown back, and a white streak on the tail; the face is bare between the eyes and nostrils: it is a native of Europe and Canada. 7. The ruficulus, with a yellow wax, yellow ring round the eyes, and yellow legs; the body is ash coloured undulated with white, and a white ring round the neck: it is a native of Sweden. 8. The barbarus, with yellow wax, and yellow legs; the body is blueish, and spotted with brown: it is a native of Barbary. 9. The caruleiceps, with yellow wax, a yellow ring round the eyes, and the feet yellow underneath; the back is of a blackish blue colour; and the temples are surrounded with a white line. This is the smallest bird of the genus, and is a native of Asia. 10. The cyaneus, with white wax, yellow legs, a whitish blue body, and a white ring round the eyes and throat. It is the blue hawk of Edwards, and is a native of Europe and Africa. 11. The pygargus, with yellow wax and legs; the body is ash coloured, with pale red spots along the belly, and white orbits. It is a bird of Europe. 12. The milvus, or kite, with yellow wax on the back, a forked tail, and iron-coloured bill, and the head of a lighter colour. It is a bird of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Bellonius relates, that, about the end of April, in less than fourteen days, incredible numbers of them are seen flying over the Black Sea into Asia. They feed upon offals, young-birds, &c. Like all the species of this genus, they fly remarkably high, and are endowed with uncommon acuteness of vision. 13. The gentilis, with yellow wax and legs; the body is ash coloured, with brown spots; and the tail has four blackish streaks. It is a native of the Alps, and is peculiarly fond of larks. 14. The subbuteo, with yellow wax and legs; the back is brown, the nape of the neck white, and the belly is pale, with oblong brown spots. It is called the hobby by English authors, and is a native of Europe. 15. The buteo, with yellowish wax and legs, a brown body, and a pale belly, with brown spots. He feeds upon rabbits, toads, &c., and is a bird of Europe. 16. The tinnunculus, with yellow wax and legs; the back is reddish, and spotted with black; it has brownish streaks on the breast, and a roundish tail. It inhabits old buildings, and lives upon small birds and mice. 17. The sultator, with yellowish wax and legs; the body is of a brownish white colour; and the covers of the eyes are bony. He has a fleshy lobe between the nostrils, which, when angry or terrified, he inflates till his head becomes as large as his whole body. He is a native of Surinam. 18. The cachinnans, or laughing hawk, has yellowish legs and wax, and white eye-brows; the body is variegated with brown and white; and it has a black ring round the top of the head. It makes a laughing kind of noise when it observes any person, and is a native of America. 19. The hudsonius, has yellow wax, and yellow legs, a brown back, and white eye-brows. It is found at Hudson's bay. 20. The sparverius, has yellow wax, a brown head, a red belly, and blueish wings. It is a native of America. 21. The columbarius, or pigeon-hawk of Catesby, weighs about six ounces. The bill is black at the point, and whitish at the base; the iris of the eye is yellow; the base of the upper mandible is covered with a yellow fear or wax; all the upper part of the body, wings, and tail, are brown. The interior vanes of the quill-feathers have large red spots. The tail is marked with four regular transverse white lines; the throat, breast, and belly are white, mixed with brown; the small feathers that cover the thighs reach within half an inch of the feet, and are white, with a tincture of red, beset with long spots of brown; the legs and feet are yellow. It is a very swift and bold hawk, preying on pigeons, young turkeys, &c. and is a native of Carolina. Pl.76.fig.3. 22. The superciliosus has yellow legs and wax, and yellow eye-brows; and the body is brown, waved with white. It is a native of Surinam. 23. The vesperinus, is about the size of a pigeon; the body is of a blueish brown colour; and the bill is yellow, and brown at the point. It is a native of Ingria, and flies both in the day and in the night. 24. The lanarius, has yellowish wax, and the bill and legs, which are short, are blueish. It is a native of Europe. 25. The furcatus, or swallow-tailed hawk, weighs about 1.4 ounces; the bill is black; the eyes are large and black, with a red iris; the head, neck, breast, and belly are white; the upper part of the back and wings a dark purple; but more dusky towards the lower parts, with a tincture of green. The wings are long in proportion to the body, and, when extended, are four feet. The tail is dark purple mixed with green, and remarkably forked. Like swallows, they continue long on the wing, catching, as they fly, beetles, flies, and other insects. They are said to prey upon lizards and serpents, and are found in America. Pl.76.fig.2. 26. halictetus, or fishing hawk of Catesby, weighs three pounds and a quarter; it measures, from one end of the wing to the other, five feet and a half. The bill is black, with a blue fear or wax; the iris of the eye is yellow, and the crown of the head brown, with a mixture of white feathers; from each eye, backwards, runs a brown stripe: Fig. 1. Falco Leucocephalus or White Headed Eagle

Fig. 2. Falco Furfatus or Swallow Tailed Hawk

Fig. 3. Falco Columbarius or Pigeon Hawk the back, wings, and tail, are of a dark brown; the throat, neck, and belly white; the legs and feet are rough and scaly, and of a pale blue colour; the talons are black, and nearly of an equal size; the feathers of the thighs are short, and adhere close to them, contrary to others of the hawk-kind, which nature seems to have designed for their more easy penetrating the water. Their manner of fishing is, after hovering a while over the water, to precipitate into it with prodigious swiftness, where they remain for some minutes, and seldom rise without a fish. The white-headed eagle, who is generally on the watch, no sooner spies him with his sight, than he flies furiously upon him: the hawk immediately mounts, and screams out; but the eagle always soars above him, and compels him to let the fish fall; the eagle instantly darts down upon the fish, and seldom fails to catch it before it reaches the water. It is remarkable, that, whenever the hawk catches a fish, he calls out, as if it were to give warning to his enemy the eagle, who always obeys the call when within hearing. The lower parts of the rivers and creeks near the sea in America, abound with those eagles and hawks, where these diverting contests are frequently seen.

27. The gyrfalcon, with blue wax on the beak, yellow legs, a brown body, marked with ash-coloured streaks underneath, and the sides of the tail white. It is the gyrfalcon of Ray, lives upon cranes, pigeons, &c., and is a native of Europe.

28. The aviporus, with black wax, yellow legs, half naked, the head of an alabaster colour, and having an ash-coloured stripe on the tail, which is white at the end. It is the honey-buzzard of Ray, and is a native of Europe; it feeds upon mice, lizards, frogs, bees, and other insects.

29. The eruginosus, with greenish wax, a greyish body; and the top of the head, nape of the neck, and legs, are yellowish. It is a native of Europe, and builds its nest in marshes.

30. The palumbarius, with black wax edged with yellow, yellow legs, a brown body, and the prime feathers of the tail are marked with pale streaks, and the eye-brows are white. It is the gooselike-hawk of Ray, an inhabitant of Europe, and an enemy to domestic fowls.

31. The nisus, with green wax, yellow legs, and a white belly undulated with grey; the tail is marked with blackish belts. It is the sparrow-hawk of Ray, and a native of Europe. It is peculiarly fond of pigeons, sparrows, and larks.

32. The minutus, with brown wax, yellow legs, and the body is white underneath. It is the least hawk of Brissotius, being about the size of a thrush, and is found at Melita.