AVES. 



531 



The bones of tlio wing are, first, the Bruckivm, fig. V. A. .;.— si'cond, the 

 Cubittcs, B. S.— third, the Carpus, C. C— fourtlily, tlie spurious wing boue, D. 



ORDER I.— RAPACES. 



Bill short, robust ; base of the upper mandible covered by a membrane or 

 cere ; sides compressed ; point hooked ; nostrils open ; legs very strong, 

 muscular, and short; occasionally of medium length, covered with feath- 

 ers to the knee in some species, and to the toe in others ; feet with three 

 toes before and one behind ; divided, or united at the base by a membrane ; 

 rough below ; claws powerful, hooked, sharp, and retractile. 



Genus l.—WLTVR.—IllJger. 



Generic Character.— BUI thick, short, its depth greater than its breadth ; 

 covered at its base by a cere ; upper mandible nearly straight, bent down- 

 wards near its point; lower mandible straight, rounded, inflected at the 

 point ; head in some species naked, in others covered by a short down ; 

 nostrils lateral, naked, and opening obliquely towards the margin of the 

 cere ; legs robust, provided with slightly bent talons ; the middle toe longest 

 and united at the base with the exterior one. 



FuUur fulvus.— The Fulvous Vulture. Plate xxvi. fig. 1. Head and 

 neck covered with white down ; the bottom of neck surrounded by a thick 

 ruff or collar, of upright, slender, pale ferruginous feathers ; on the breast 

 is a white spot ; body and wings rich fawn-colour ; tail blackish-brown ; 

 beak dull yellow ; cere red ; irides hazel ; legs gray. Four feet long. In- 

 habits Europe, Asia, and Africa. 



Genus 2.—CATHAnTES.—IlUger. 



Generic Character.— 'BUI long, straight, compressed, bent towards the 

 point; cere naked, extending more than half the length of tlie beak ; upper 

 mandible tumid towards the tip ; head naked and oblong ; upper part of the 

 neck divested of feathers ; the nostrils nearly in the centre of the beak, 

 close to the ridge of the upper mandible, cleft longitudinally, broad, and 

 sometimes surmounted by fleshy appendages ; legs with the tarsus naked, 

 more or less slender ; middle toe long, and united to the exterior one at the 

 base. 



Cathartes gryphus — The Condor. Plate xxvi. fig. 2. Described, vo-. 

 iii. p. 65. 



Genus 3.— GYP-ETUS.— Storr. 



Generic Character. — Beak long ; upper mandible arched towards its tip, 

 and hooked; nostrils ovate, concealed by stiff reflexed hairs ; feet short, 

 with four toes, the three anterior united by a short membrane ; the middle 

 one considerably longer than the others ; talons slightly hooked ; wings long. 



Gypcctus harbatus.— The Bearded Vulture. Plate xxvi*. fig. 8. Blackish 

 ou the back, with a white line down the middle of each feather ; neck and 

 upper part of the body bright yellow; head surrounded by a black fillet. 

 Kxpause of wings about eight feet. Inhabits Egypt, Abyssinia, and the 

 German and Swiss Alps. 



