166 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH' STORIES 



the ground, glided back into the tree, and presented his 

 offering to his lady love. Apparently, she was convinced 

 of his sincerity. Together they devoured the rabbit, and 

 when he again began his love dance she joined in with as 

 much enthusiasm as he. The last the boy saw of Silent 

 "Wing he and his bride were flying across the fields toward 

 Skunk River. 



Key to the Families of Raptores 



Birds with firm plumage. 



Cathartid^ — American Vultures. 



Large birds with the head entirely unfeathered, the nostrils longi- 

 tudinal, and the hind toe elevated. 



Pandionid^e — Ospreys. 

 Rather large birds with sharp, strong, curved claws all of the same 

 length ; head feathered ; hind toe on the same level as the other toes, 

 and the outer toe reversible. 



Falconid^e — Falcons and Caracaras. 



Small or rather large birds with characters similar to Pandionid^, 

 but with outer toe not reversible, and claws not all of the same 

 length ; nostrils circular with a central tubercle, or narrow and set 

 obliquely with the lower end anterior, 



AcciPiTRiD^ — Hawks and Eagles. 



Birds of small or large size, similar in characters to Falconid-b, 

 but with nostrils not circular nor narrow and set obliquely with the 

 lower end anterior. 



Birds with rather soft plumage. 

 BuEONiD^ — Horned Owls. 



With eyes directed forward and surrounded by disks of feathers, 



and inner toe shorter than middle toe. 

 Tytonid^ — Barn Owls. 



With eyes directed forward and surrounded by disks of feathers, 



but inner toe as long as the middle toe. 



Foot of Typical Hawk 



