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

- the processus oticus is short and wide, \ - the quadratum is square (GH/GW - the processus orbitális is long and narrow, J value is low) - the processus mandibularis in the line of condylus lateralis and cond. caudalis is narrow, the MW/CW value is high, - there is no crista on the caudal edge of condylus caudalis. Falco naumanni: - the quadratum is small, - the processus mandibularis in the line of condylus lateralis and cond. caudalis is narrow. Clavicula (furcula) I did not take measurements on the clavicula as there are no good measuring points on this bone. The size order of the species is the following: F. subbuteo > F. columbarius > F. tinnunculus > F. vespertinus >= F. naumanni Usually the size of the clavicula of the males of the larger species equals the size of the females of the following species. The clavicula has quite good morphological characters. The width and curve of the scapus (corpus) claviculae, the arch of the two claviculae, the angle of them, and the shape of the sternal and omal end of the bone is characteristic for the different species. The processus acromialis (tuberculum scapulare, LAMBRECHT, 1933) is large sized in all of the species, and approximately as high as the processus acrocoracoideus (tuberculum coracoideale, LAMBRECHT, 1933) (doso-cranial view). In the Hobby - corresponding with the size of the end of the bone - both the processus acromialis and proc. acrocoracoideus is larger than in the Merlin. In the Kestrels both of these processus is smaller, but in the Red-footed Falcon compared to the size of the clavicula they are bigger than in the other Kestrels. The scapus claviculae in the Hobby and Merlin is wider than in the Kestrels. In the Hobby the omal end of the bone in the line of the processus acrocoracoideus is widening very abruptly, but at the proc. acromialis is narrower again. The omal end of the bone in the Merlin, Kestrel and Lesser Kestrel only slightly widens (Plate XXXVI, Figures 6-9). The Red-footed Falcon is in a transitional position between these two forms, and the clavicula of some individuals is similar to that of the Hobby. In lateral view the clavicula is most curved in the Kestrel and Red-footed Falcon, and the arch is steady. In the Hobby and Lesser Kestrel the curve is still quite strong, but especially at the omal and sternal ends the clavicula bends abruptly, the scapus is less curved. In lateral view the clavicula is less curved in the Merlin (Plate XXXVI, Figures 6-9). In the Merlin the stretch of the two claviculae is small acute (caudal view). At the sternal end the two claviculae meet in acute angle, in the other species this angle is larger. The arch of the claviculae at the tip is widest, most stretched in the Kestrel. The two claviculae often meet in a straight line (180 degree). The furcula of the Red-footed Falcon also from this point of view is most similar to that of the Hobby. In the Hobby both on the ventral and dorsal edge of the apophysis furculae there is an apex (although the dorsal is sometimes missing). In the Merlin there is only one on the ventral edge, or sometimes even this one is also missing. In the Red-footed Falcon on the ventral edge of the apophysis furculae in a small extent though, but this apex is present, or there are two smaller protrusion next to each other, and consequently the ventral edge becomes concave. On the dorsal side the protrusion is hardly detectable. In the Kestrel both of the edges are smooth, in the Lesser Kestrel too, or there is only a slight protrusion on the ventral edge (Plate XXXVI, Figures 1-5). 22