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FAMILY THE THIRD. 



VULTURID^. 



The bii'ds of the family of Vulturidce, or Vultures, are 

 scattered over the whole of the American continent, except the 

 most northerly portions of North America ; they are also found 

 throughout Africa and in the southern countries of Europe and 

 of Asia, 



They are most numerous in warm climates, and are there 

 very serviceable ; most spfecies of the family feeding chiefly 

 upon various animal substances which wovdd become noxious 

 if left to the process of gradual decay. 



This family is divisible into four sub-families, of which 

 the two first, Cathartince and Vulturince, contain the most 

 typical species and the largest number of them. 



The other sub-families, Gypohieracince and Gypaetinoe, are 

 much less typical and also much less numerous. 



The typical Vultures are chiefly characterized by their 

 carrion-feeding habits ; by their heads and necks being more 

 or less denuded of feathers, and by the comparative want of 

 prehensile power in their feet and claws, in consequence of 

 which they seldom remove their food from the place where they 

 find it, but devour it on the spot, and nourish theii- young 

 by regurgitation from the crop. 



Vultures are frequently in the habit of soaring at gi-eat 

 altitudes, but the larger species can only rise from the flat 

 surface of the ground by first running for some yards and 



