BIRDS 



ORDER I. 



AcciPiTKES* [LiiinchUf<) . 



Birds of Prey. 



The Birds of Prey hold the same position among 

 the feathered tribes as the Lion, the Tiger ;, the 

 Hy^na, and other carnivorous races among mam- 

 miferous quadrupeds. They Kve upon flesh, and 

 for the most part, pursue and destroy the animals 

 that constitute their food. Their flight is therefore 

 powerful, and the weapons with which they are 

 armed of a most formidable character. Their beak 

 is strong, sharp, and curved downwards towards the 

 tip, and their feet are furnished with hooked talons 

 well adapted to pierce and secure their struggling 

 quarry. The muscles of their thighs and the 

 strength of their legs indicate the power of their 

 claws, while the length and expanse of their wings 

 testify to the velocity of their flight. Their general 

 appearance is indicative of the ferocity of their 

 nature, and their whole life is devoted to carnage 

 and rapine. The Raptorial Birds are divisible into 

 two sections, — those that fly only in the daytime, 

 and those that are nocturnal in their habits. To the 

 first of these divisions belong the Eagles, the Vul- 

 tures, and the Falcons, distinguished by having 



* Accipiter, a hawk, from accipio, to take by force. 



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