CHAPTER IX. 



BIRDS OF PREY AND OWLS. 



A 



BIRDS OF PREY. 



T one time the boundaries of this group were much larger 

 than now, for within them were included at least one 

 form which has since proved to belong to the Crane 

 Tribe : we allude to the Seriema (page 428), 

 and also to the Owls. This classification was 

 based on the very remarkable superficial 

 re&emblance to the typical birds of prey 

 which those forms bear. Modern ornitho- 

 logists regard as birds of prey only the 

 forms known as the New World Vultures, 

 the Secretary-bird, and the P'alcons, Eagles. 

 Vultures, Buzzards, and the numerous smaller 

 forms commonly classed as " Hawks." 



Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green. 



COXDOK. 



The habit of standing with the wings expanded is a very 

 common one with these birds. 



THE NEW WORLD VULTURES. 



These may be distinguished from 

 their distant relatives of the Old World 

 by the fact that the nostrils are not 

 divided from one another by a partition, 

 and by their much weaker feet. The 

 head and neck in all, as in the true 

 vultures, is more or less bare, and, 

 furthermore, is often very brilliantly 

 coloured, in which last particular these 

 birds differ from the typical vultures. 



One of the most important members 

 of the group is the CONDOR, one of the 

 largest of flying birds, and when on 

 the wing the most majestic. " When the 

 condors," says Darwin, "are wheeling in 

 a flock round and round any spot, their 

 flight is beautiful. Except when rising 

 off the ground, I do not recollect ever 

 having seen one of these birds flap its 

 wings. Near Lima I watched several for 

 nearly half an hour, without once taking 



Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z 5.] [lieyenft Par/c. 



CONDOR. 



The bare skin of the head and neck is of a dark purple colour, the ruff encircling 

 the neck being of pure white down-feathers. 



464 



