THE BIRDS 301 



lessly about with sedate strides, picking up the refuse thrown into 

 the gutters. 



The family Falconidcz includes the eagles, kites, buzzards, 

 hawks, falcons, and the bearded vultures, which have some of 

 the characteristics of both the vultures and the eagles. While the 

 vultures are stupid and cowardly, the eagle tribe is noted for 

 the boldness and alertness of most of its members. They wage 

 war upon all weaker creatures, and some eagles even attack animals 

 larger than themselves; They vary in size from the Great Bearded 

 Vulture (Gypa'etus barbatus) to the tiny Finch- Falcon (Microhierax 

 fringillarius), and differ considerably in general appearance, but 

 their ways are alike in many respects, and certain points of 

 structure are common to all. The wings are always powerful, 

 but may be long or short, pointed or rounded ; the beak is short 

 and stout and hook-shaped ; the talons curved and sharp, fitted for 

 grasping and tearing. 



The Eagles chiefly frequent mountainous districts, rock-girt 

 shores, or high open moorlands, where they live in pairs or in 

 solitary state. The female is in most cases the larger of the birds, 

 and is fiercer than the male, particularly when guarding her young. 

 On the ground Eagles progress by a series of hops, their wings 

 the while being half expanded ; their flight is graceful and majestic, 

 their powers of endurance being exceeded only by those of the 

 albatrosses, cranes, storks, and some of the larger gulls. 



The Golden Eagle (Aquila chryscetus) is typical of its kind, and is 

 one of the largest of the European birds of prey. At one time 

 fairly frequent in England, it is now only an occasional visitor, 

 and when it appears it is usually promptly shot surely a curious 

 method of encouraging rare birds to visit the country. Abroad it 

 has a wide distribution, occurring in most parts of Europe, Asia, 

 North America to Mexico, and in North Africa. 



Amongst the British hawks are the Merlin (Falco czsalon), the 

 Kestrel (Cerchneis tinnunculus) and the Sparrow Hawk (Accipiter 

 nisus) ; the two latter are fairly common throughout the British 

 Isles, but the Merlin is chiefly confined to the north. 



The Qallinae, or Galliformes, is a large order comprising all the 

 game birds and the domestic fowls, and contains a vast number 

 of species and varieties. The various families of the group differ 

 considerably in many ways, but mostly agree in being of robust 



