13 



total of the facts revealed by a careful study of all the structural 

 features presented by tlie Aetomorphse, the lecturer considered that 

 we are justified in recognizing the representatives of five such 

 stock, or parent-sources whence the birds under consideration have 

 been derived. These are — 



1. The AcciPiTBES, 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 Serpbntarii, now only represented by the Secretary 



Bird. 



5. The CATHARTiE, embracing the Vultures of the New- 



World. 



If our schemes of Zoological classification were complete and 

 perfectly consistent, the Aetomorphse as a whole should take no 

 higher than a family rank, and the foregoing five sub-divisions 

 should rank merely as sub-families. But it is more in accordance 

 with the practice of Ornithologists to regard the Aetomorphae as 

 an Order, and to rank the five sub-divisions just referred to as 

 Sub-Orders. Of the 11,000 species of birds recognized by Orni- 

 thologists the Aetomorphse count as 510 ; which are distributed 

 through the above-mentioned Sub-Orders as follows : Accipitres 

 300 — 320 species ; Striges 400 — 410 ; Pandiones 1 ; Serpentarii 1 ; 

 Cathartae 9 or 10. 



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

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

 except that no true Vultures are found in America or in Australia. 

 The Striges also are represented over almost all the known parts of 

 the earth's surface. The Osprey, again, is very widely distributed. 

 The Secretary Bird is at present limited to the Southern part of 

 Africa. And, lastly, the Cathartae are mainly confined to the 

 Southern States of North America and to South America. 



Eegarding the external characteristics of the Aetomorphae 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 tufts of 

 certain owls), are restricted to the Southern regions of the globe. 



