82 Mr. J. G. Goodchild on Hawks and Hawking. 



from a goatsucker stock. Similar observations apply also to 

 birds like the skuas, albatrosses, storks, and other birds that 

 stand close upon one part or another of the Mtomorpha, as at 

 present recognised. 



Bearing these facts hi mind, and taking into account the 

 sum-total of the facts revealed by a careful study of all the 

 structural features presented by the ilito}iwrp]m, the lecturer 

 considered that we are justified in recognising the representatives 

 of five such stocks or parent sources whence the birds under 

 consideration have been derived. These are : — 



1. The Accipitres, represented by the Old World vultures, the 

 eagles, buzzards, kites, hawks, and falcons. 



2. The Striges, represented by the owls. 



3. The Pandiones, represented solely by the osprey. 



4. The Serpentarii, now only represented by the secretary bird. 



5. The Cathartse, embracing the vultures of the New World. 

 If our schemes of zoological classification were complete and 



perfectly consistent, the JEtomorphce, as a whole, should take no 

 higher than family rank, and the foregoing five subdivisions 

 should rank merely as subfamilies ; but it is more in accordance 

 with the practice of ornithologists to regard the u^tomorphm as 

 an Order, and to rank the five subdivisions just referred to as 

 suborders. Of the 11,000 species of birds recognised by 

 ornithologists, the jEtomorplm embraces 510, which are dis- 

 tributed through the suborders as follows : — Accipitres, 300-320 

 species; Striges, 400-410 ; Pandiones, 1 ; Serpentarii, 1 ; Cathartse, 

 9 or 10. 



In regard to their geographical distribution, it may be said in 

 general terms that the Accipitres have a world-wide distribution, 

 except that no true vultures are found in either America or in 

 Australia. The Striges also are represented over almost all the 

 known parts of the earth's surface. The osprey, agam, is very 

 widely distributed. The secretary bird is at present limited to 

 the southern part of Africa. And, lastly, the Cathartse are 

 mainly confined to the southern states of North America and to 

 South America. 



Kegarding the external characteristics of the jEtomorvhiB, as 

 related to their habitat, the lecturer drew attention to the fact 

 that nearly all the birds of prey that are decorated with occipital 

 or other crests (not including under this term the frontal tuft of 

 certain owls) are restricted to the southern regions of the globe. 

 He then proceeded to describe in general terms the habits and 

 mode of life of some of the leading forms of birds of prey, 

 paying special attention to the natural history of the hawks and 

 falcons, and illustrating his remarks by reference to a large series 

 of drawings from living birds. After appealing to his hearers 

 to obtain more protection for these interesting birds the lecturer 



