KAPTATORES. S(l '-' 



curved point of the upper beak are always hard and horny. The 

 strong toes, of which the outer can be turned backwards or forwards, 

 are always armed with powerful claws, which are admirably adapted 

 for the seizure of prey. The feet are p. insidentes, and are feathered 

 to the intertarsal joint, rarely to the toes. Before the digestion the 

 food is softened in the crop, from which the feathers and hairs rolled 

 together in balls are ejected as the " castings." As a rule the female 

 alone incubates, but the male assists in procuring food for the help- 

 less young. Some genera of Owls and Falcons are cosmopolitan. 



Fam. Strigidae. Owls. With large. anteriorly directed eye^, which are sur- 

 rounded by a circle of stiff feathers, sometimes in a veil-like manner ; with 

 strong, hooked beak, bent downwards from the base. The ear has usually a 

 membranous operculum and external cutaneous fold, on which the feathers may 

 be grouped, so as to give the appearance of a concha. Stri.c Jltim men L., Barn 

 Owl (rig. (i(i4) ; Sijrn/um nlnco L., Tawny Owl ; Of us rulffarin L.. Long-eared 

 Owl; O. brarli i/otux G in.. .Short-eared Owl; Bttlio niti^hinix Si lib., Eagle Owl ; 

 i's scops L., Scops Owl, South Europe ; 



Sumia passerina Ulus.. Sparrow Owl ; ^\'///-fii/ 

 nicea Daud.. Snowy Owl. 



Fam. Vulturidse. Vultures. l'uj>t<itores 

 of large size, with long, straight beak, only 

 bent downwards at the tip. Nares often 

 pervious (_Catlinrtitiai). Head and neck 

 often in great part naked. The head some- 

 times bears lobed appendages ; the neck is 

 often surrounded by a collar of down and 

 feathers. Sarcorhamphus ijryphtis Geoff r., '1 



Condor ; S. papa, Dum., King- Vulture. South 



PIG. ut>4. Head of Strixflammea. 



America; Cathartes aura 111.; ('. atratux 



Baird, Turkey Buzzard. South America ; Neophron jn'i-enptcr>ix Sav., Egyptian 

 Vulture; Vultur cincmia Gm., South Europe; Gyps fulvus Rriss.; G-ypai : tux 

 barbatux Cuv., Llimmergeier. South Europe. 



Fam. Accipitridae = Falconidse. With shorter and usually dentatcd beak. 

 feathered head (rarely with naked cheeks) and neck. Metatarsus of medium 

 length, and sometimes feathered. 



Aquila clirysaetox L., Golden Eagle, South Germany; B. imperial/* Kais. Bhi<.. 

 Imperial Eagle, South Europe ; A.fulra M.W., Golden Eagle. Tyrol : .1. nacr'm 

 I'.riss., Spotted Eagle : Ilaliaetos alhiciUa Briss. (tmifraiiHit L.). Sea Eagle. 

 Europe, North Africa ; PantJlon haliai'tox. Guv., Osprey, Northern heini>|ilicr.'. 



M'dr.us i-cf/alis Briss., Red Kite. Seizes its prey from other birds, and 

 only takes small animals as hamster-rats, moles, and mice; M. atcr Daud., 

 Black Kite. 



Buteo i-ulgari* L., Buzzard : B. L/r/opt/s L., Rough-legged Buz/ard : I'l-mix 

 apifoi-uis Cuv., Honey Buzzard. 



Astw palvwibarius L., Cioshawk; Nixus en in inn nix (kiv.. Sparrowhawk. 



f'ah'o tiiiiiitiifii/ itx L., Kestrel ; F.peri'f/riHux L.. Peregrine-falcon ; /'. i-anil'uliix 

 i ; in. = ijyrfuh-o L.. .ler-faleon. 



<:in-H.i rtifiix f,. (<, ri</ii>iox//x~), Marsli Harrier; C. ci/iutc//* 1... lien Harrier. 



