18 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 



cies that are found in Britain, and of which, so far as I 

 know, only two individuals of a single species ha^ 

 been seen at large in that country. 



The general characters of our Eagles, Hawks, and 

 Owls are more easily elicited than those of the entire 

 order of Rapacious Birds ; for many circumstances of 

 organization and habits observed in some, are not com- 

 mon to them and the rest, and very few, if any, can be 

 pointed out as belonging equally to all the species. It 

 is in truth extremely difficult to define the rapacious 

 birds as forming an order or great division of a class. 

 Thus, a celebrated anatomist states, that " they are dis- 

 tinguished by their hooked bill and claws, which en- 

 able them to seize other birds and even weak quadru- 

 peds and reptiles ;" but the claws of some vultures are 

 not hooked, few of these birds use their talons for seiz- 

 ing prey, and many species of the order live almost ex- 

 clusively upon carrion ; besides, the bill and claws of 

 many others belonging to different families are hooked, 

 as in the genera Cataractes and Lestris. " The mus- 

 cles of their thighs and legs, he continues, are indica- 

 tive of the power of their talons ;" yet by many of these 

 birds the talons are not employed for pouncing upon 

 or grasping their prey. A celebrated ornithologist, in 

 like manner, describes the feet as strong, muscular, 

 short or of moderate length, and yet gives as the cha- 

 racter of the genus Gypogeranus, which he places in 

 this order, " feet very long and slender." Characters 



