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

- the plane of the proximal end of the bone is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (dorsal view), - the apex part of crista medialis hypotarsi is more pointed (medial view), the plate at the plantar edge is narrower, narrows towards the apex (plantar view), - on the dorso-lateral margin of corpus tarsometatarsi there is a rib-like edge, - the distance difference between the distal edges of the trochleae is small, - the trochlea metatarsi 1П is relatively small. Falco vespertinus: - the tarsometatarsus is especially short, - the distal end of the bone is relatively large (GL/DW, PW/DW values are low), - the plane of the proximal end of the bone is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (dorsal view), - the eminentia intercondylaris is large, - the tip of crista medialis hypotarsi is more rounded (medial view), the plate at the plantar edge narrows towards the apex only very slightly (plantar view), - the length difference between the distal edge of the torchlea metatarsi II and IV is considerable (dorsal view), - the trochlea metatarsi III is relatively large. Falco naumanni: - the tarsometatarsus is especially short, - the distal end of the bone is small (GL/DW, PW/DW values are high), - the plate at the plantar edge of crista medialis hypotarsi narrows towards the apex only very slightly (plantar view), - the length difference between the distal edge of the trochlea metatarsi II and ГУ is considerable (dorsal view). The digits of the foot (ossa digitorum pedis) 1st toe Phalanx 1 digiti 1 posterior The length of the phalanx 1 dig. 1 post, in the Hobby, Merlin and Kestrel approximately equal, but separated without overlap from the Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel, in which the phalanx is much smaller than in the former species. The width of corpus phalangis (CW) is greater in the Kestrels than in the true Falcons. The Merlin has got the narrowest phalanges, even narrower than the Hobby (Plate XXVIII, Figure 1). In the Hobby and Merlin at the proximal end of the bone the tuberculum collatérale laterale is larger, and the dorsal side of the end of the bone is more protruding (the tuberculum extensorium is greater) than in the Kestrels (Plate XLIV, Figures 1-4). In the Kestrels the plantar side of corpus phalangis is more flattened and wider, than in the Hobby and Merlin. In the Hobby and Merlin in lateral view on the plantar side of the corpus there is a protrusion. From here in distal direction the phalanx is strongly narrowing, and becomes narrowest before the capitulum phalangis. The cristae plantares mediales et laterales are missing at this section, the plantar side is rounded. In the case of the Red-footed Falcon and Lesser Kestrel we find similar structures, but to a lesser extent. In the Kestrel there is no protrusion on the plantar side of the corpus, and the phalanx is hardly narrowing in distal direction. The cristae plantares med. et lat. are present, the plantar side is flat, and even concave (Plate XLIV, Figures 6-10). 50