EGYPTIAN BIRDS 3 



this is typical of all the falcons, and gives a 

 characteristic attitude in its rushing downward 

 swoop. The head is blunt and sunk into the 

 shoulders, the wings are stiff, rigid, pointed and 

 powerful, the tail straight and firm. 



Nos. 4 and 5 are Vultures shown flying farther 

 away from the spectator's eye, and consequently on 

 a smaller scale. The black and white of the adult 

 Egyptian Vulture, No. 4, is such a distinctive 

 characteristic that recognition is easy, but in the 

 case of the young bird the plumage is dirty brown 

 and grey with faint dark streaks on it, and at that 

 stage might be confused with Griffon Vultures, if 

 it were not for its smaller size. In flying, the way 

 it tucks its head in so that only its bill seems 

 visible, and the very small tail in proportion to 

 the wing area, are the outstanding peculiarities of 

 this, and indeed all Vultures. 



No. 5 shows a distant group of Griffons, purposely 

 placed at a distance, as on the small space of a page, 

 if they were brought as near the eye as the other 

 birds, they would completely cover the whole space, 

 for they have an enormous span of wing. Note 

 how small the tail is, and how the head is practi- 

 cally invisible. 



Nos. 6 and 7 are of different orders of birds 



