( AHIXATAE. 463 



C. olor L, mute swan ; C. musicus Bechst., whooper. Anser L., geese ; 

 A. cinereus Meyer, gray goose, origin of the domestic race ; A. hyperboreus 

 L., snow goose ; A. segetum L., bean goose. Cereopis, Anseranas. 

 Anas L., ducks ; A. boscas L., wild duck, origin of the domestic races. 

 Tadorna cornuta Leach, sheld-drake. Aex, Plectropterus. Fuligula, 

 Somateria mollissima Leach, eider duck ; Erismatura. Mergus merganser 

 L., goosander ; M. serrator L., redbreasted merganser ; M< altellus L. 

 smew. 



Tribe 7. FALCONIFORMES. 



Carnivorous birds with desmognathous skull, with curved beak hooked 

 at the extremity, and with basal cere, without functional caeca. The 

 feet are perching, and the strong toes are always armed with powerful 

 claws which are admirably adapted for the seizure of prey which usually 

 consists of warm-blooded animals. As a rule the female, which is larger 

 than the male, alone incubates, but the male assists in procuring food for 

 the helpless young. Fossil from the Eocene. 



Fam. Cathartidae. With pervious nostrils and naked uropygial gland, 

 without syrinx muscles, with complete basipterygoid processes. Western 

 hemisphere. Cathartes atratus Baird, turkey-buzzard ; Catharista, Pseudo- 

 gryphus, Gyparchus papa Dum. the king- vulture ; Sarcorhamphus Dum. 

 S. gryphus Geoff r., the condor. 



The remaining families of the tribe are grouped under the head 

 Accipitres ; with nares imperviae, feathered uropygial gland, and 

 tracheo-bronchial muscles. The basipterygoid processes are not complete 

 and the postacetabular part of the ilium is bent ventrally except in Ser- 

 pentariidae. 



Fam. Serpentariidae. The African secretary bird, Serpentarius Sagit- 

 tarius Cuv., feeds on insects and reptiles ; with complete basipterygoid 

 processes, about 4 ft. high, with long legs which easily break. 



Fam. Vulturidae. Old-world vultures. Head and upper part of neck 

 naked or with small down -like feathers. Old world from S. Central 

 Europe to the Cape, absent from China, Malay Islands, Australia, Sum- 

 atra, Ceylon, Madagascar. Vultur cinereus Gm., S. Eur. ; Neophron 

 percnopterus Sav., Egyptian vulture. Gyps fulvus Briss., griffon ; Oto- 

 gyps, Lophogyps. 



Fam. Falconidae. Head and neck feathered. 



Sub-fam. Gypaetinae. Gypaetus Gray, cere feathered ; G. barbatus 

 Cuv., the lammergeier, high mountains of Eur., Afr., Asia. 



Sub-fam. Polyborinae. Carrion hawks. America. Polyborus, Ibyc- 

 ter, Phalcobaenus, Senex. 



Sub-fam. Accipitrinae. Hawks. Circus cyaneus L., hen harrier ; 

 C. cineraceus Mont., Montagu's harrier ; C. aeruginosus L., marsh 

 harrier. Astur palumbarius L., goshawk. Accipiter nisus L., sparrow 

 hawk. 



Sub-fam. Aquilinae. Eagles. Aquila chrysaetus L., golden eagle ; 

 A. naevia Briss., spotted eagle. Haliaetus albicilla Briss., sea-eagle, 

 erne. 



Sub-fam. Buteoninae. Buzzards and kites. Archibuteo lagopus 

 L., rough-legged buzzard. Buteo vulgaris L., buzzard ; Milvus 

 ictinus (regalis), red kite, once common in London ; M. ater Daud. 

 black kite. Pernis apivorus Cuv., honey-buzzard. 



Sub-fam. Falconinae. Falcons. Falco gyr/alco L., gyrfalcon ; 



