Folia Historico-Naturalia Musei Matraensis - A Mátra Múzeum Természetrajzi Közleményei 21. (1996)

families on the ventral side of the proximal end of the bone, distal from the crista bicipitalis, there is a foramen nutricium (BALLMANN , 1969). This is missing in the species of the Falco genus, but on the ventral (or ventro-cranial) side of corpus humeri there is a similar foramen, which is usually missing in the above mentioned species (Pernis, Buteo). Radius: the tuberculum aponeurosis is bigger on the cranial side than in other birds of prey, and at the caudal side of the distal end of the bone, at the middle of the facies artic. radiocarpalis there is a very small protrusion. In other birds of prey there is a well-distinguished tuberculum at this position (later tuberculum ulnare). Ulna: at the distal bone end the tuberculum carpale is quite large, the condylus ventralis is larger, while the condylus dorsalis is smaller than in other birds of prey. In the latter opposed to the Falcons on the ventral side the labrum condyli is connected with an arch to the corpus. Carpometacarpus: in the Falcons at the ventral edge of the proximal end of os metacarpal minus (metac. Ill) there is a pointed protrusion. In other birds of prey this protrusion is either smaller or missing, but in this case next to this place distally there is an another, similar protrusion. Sternum: the carina sterni is high, the arch of margo ventralis is relatively less rounded, low, especially so on the caudal section. The spina interna is present and visible, which is missing in the species of the Accipitridae and Pandionidae families. The foramen pneumaticus is big, we can find similar sized foramina in the Circus and Accipiter species. The planum postcraniale is either very small or completely missing. Pelvis: the pelvis (os coxae and synsacrum) is relatively wide, rounded inside. The synsacrum hardly bending along its longitudinal axis, the top of crista dorsalis is straight or rounded in medio-lateral direction. The cristae iliacae dorsales do not protrude in a rib-like form as in the Accipiter, Pernis, Buteo, and Circus species. On the preacetabular part (ala preacetabularis ilii) the pelvis narrows down to a lesser degree than in the formerly mentioned species. The antitrochanter is big. The tuberculum preacetabulare is small and pointed, it is wider in the Pandion, while in other birds of prey it is missing. Femur: the facies articularis antitrochanterica in cranial view a bit arched, convex, this part is either straight or concave in the Accipitridae and Pandionidae species. The fovea ligamenti capitis is very shallow. The crista trochanteris on the cranial side does not connect to the corpus femoris all along, the foramen pneumaticum (SCHMIDT-BURGER, 1982) is located very near to the proximal end of the bone, and situated in line with the caput femoris. In the Accipitridae species this is found distally lower, and missing in the Pandion. On the distal end of the bone the epicondylus lateralis is very small or missing (similarly to the Pernis and Pandion species). Tibiotarsus: the processus cnemialis (SCHMIDT-BURGER, 1982) is missing, does not protrude in proximal direction. The crista patellaris is strongly arched. Both the facies gastrocnemialis and the sulcus intercristalis is shallower and less rounded than in the Accipiter and Buteo species. The canalis extensorius located on the cranial side of distal end of the bone is bridged over by two pons supratendineus. In other non-Falconid birds of prey the pons supratendineus is located in medial direction from the longitudinal axis. In Falcons the epicondylus lateralis on the distal end of the bone is well developed and big, but the epicondylus medialis is almost not visible. As for the Accipitridae the opposite is true, the epicondylus lateralis is missing and the epicondylus medialis is big. Tarsometatarsus: the crista plantaris mediana runs along all the length of the corpus until the distal end. Hence on the plantar side the sulcus flexorius, which is a deep, longitudinal canal in other birds of prey, is divided in the Falcons. The crista medialis hypotarsi is 16