BIRDS. 



Birds of Prey. 



505 



Once the birds of prey were exalted to the head of the whole series oi 

 birds ; now they are degraded to about the middle of the avian hosts. Yet 

 whether they rank high or low, they still are interesting, and one by some 



Fig. 421. — Secretary-bird (Gypogeranus serpentarius). 



great mistake, has been selected as our national emblem. The group — 

 called Accipitres, or Raptores — is well marked, and no one, seeing one 

 of these birds, can in the least mistake its character. The large, strong- 



