126 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



containing all other known forms of Raptorial 

 Birds, is divisible into four families, the 

 geographical distribution of which may now 

 be briefly sketched. First of these the Secretary 

 Birds (Serpentariidae), of which but one species 

 is known, is confined to the Ethiopian Region. 

 Next we have the Old World Vultures (Vul- 

 turidae), which are distributed over the warm 

 parts of the Palaearctic Region, the whole of 

 the Ethiopian Region, and a great part of the 

 Oriental Region. Rather noteworthy is the 

 fact that these birds are absent from Mada- 

 gascar and Ceylon, from the tropical islands 

 of the Malay Archipelago, and from the entire 

 Australian Region. Following these we have 

 the Typical Raptores, including the Eagles, 

 Hawks, Falcons, Harriers, and so on (Falconidae). 

 Of the various groups or sub -families into 

 which this may be divided, we have the Carrion 

 Hawks (Polyborinae), mostly confined to the 

 Neotropical Region, but extending into the 

 Nearctic Region as far north as California ; 

 the Bearded Vultures (Gypaetinae), an Old World 

 group confined to the mountain ranges in the 

 south of the Palaearctic Region, from Spain to 

 North China, and to various parts of the 

 Ethiopian Region ; the Buzzards and Kites 



