ii6 ali.en's naturalist's library. 



THE TRUE RAPTORIAL BIRDS. SUB-ORDER 

 FALCONES. 



The name Falcories has been adopted for the bulk of tlie 

 Birds of Prey, because the Falcons may be considered the 

 most typical of all the Hawks, but, as a matter of fact, the 

 present Sub-order includes every Accipitrine Bird except the 

 Ospreys and the Owls. From both of these groups of birds 

 the Fako7ies differ in not having a reversible outer toe, and 

 from the Owls they are further distinguished by the absence 

 of the facial disk and the presence of a cere. 



Putting aside the American Turkey Vultures and the Con- 

 dors, which form a separate Sub-order, and are quite distinct 

 from the ordinary Birds of Prey, we may divide the remaining 

 species into two main families, Vulhiridcc and FalconidLe, 



THE VULTURES. FAMILY VULTURID.E. 



The principle character by which a Vulture is known is by 

 its bare head, which is either quite naked or only scantily 

 clothed with down. There is generally a ruff of feathers or 

 down round the neck, but true feathers are never developed 

 on the crown of the head. The feet are strong, but are not 

 formed for grasping, as in the rest of the Hawks, but rather 

 for holding their prey firmly, while they tear it to pieces with 

 their powerful bills. They feed almost entirely on carrion, 

 and never capture anything in full flight. They are entirely 

 peculiar to the Old World. 



THE GRIFFON VULTURES. GENUS GYPS. 



Gyps^ Savigny, Descr. de I'Egypte, p. 232 (1809). 



Type, G. fulvus (Gm.). 



All the species of Griffon Vulture have down on the crown, 

 and a ruff round the neck. They are all birds of large size, 

 and have an immense bill, with a perpendicular oval nostril. 

 The toes are very long, and the middle one even exceeds the 

 tarsus in length. Their general colour is brown, sometimes 

 rather tawny, in some species nearly white or creamy-white, 



