60 



CLASS AVES. 



ORDER A CCIPETRES. 



recollect ever having seen one of these birds flap its wings. Near Lima, I 

 watched several for nearly half an hour, without once taking off my eyes : 

 they moved in large curves, sweeping in circles, descending and ascending 

 without giving a single flap. As they glided close over my head, I 

 intently watched, from an oblique position, the outlines of the separate and 

 great terminal feathers of each wing ; and these separate feathers, if there 

 had been the least vibratory movement, would have appeared as if blended 

 together ; but they were seen distinct against the blue sky. The head and 

 neck were moved frequently, and apparently with force ; and the extended 

 wings seemed to form the fulcrum on which the movements of the neck, 

 body, and tail acted. If the bird wished to descend, the wings were for a 

 moment collapsed ; and when again expanded with an altered inclination, 

 the momentum gained by the rapid descent seemed to urge the bird upwards 

 with the even and steady movement of a paper kite. In the case of any 

 bird soaring, its motion must be sufficiently rapid, so that the action of the 

 inclined surface of its body on the atmosphere may counterbalance its gravity. 

 The force to keep up the momentum of a body moving in a horizontal plane 

 in the ah* (in which there is so little friction) cannot be great, and this force 

 is all that is wanted. The movement of the neck and body of the Condor, 

 we must suppose, is sufficient for this. However this may be, it is truly 

 wonderful and beautiful to see so great a bird, hour after hour, without 

 any apparent exertion, wheeling and gliding over mountain and river." 



PERCNOPTERUS. Neck feathered ; bill slender ; size moderate. 



The species P. ^Egyptiacus is found in Spain, Portugal, Malta, Turkey, and 

 is common in Arabia, Persia, and Africa. Travellers speak of its utility in 

 removing much of the offal and filth of eastern towns, for which services 

 the superstitious Egyptians paid it divine honours, dignifying it with the 

 title of Pharaoh's Chicken. (Plate 1.) 



GYPAETOS. The Gypaeti are remarkable for the keenness of their sight, 

 which enables them at an immense height to observe when a sheep (its 

 usual prey), separating itself from the flock, strays to the edge of a preci- 

 pice ; immediately the bird stoops upon it, and by its weight, together with 

 the force collected in its descent, tumbles it over, and, when thus disabled 

 by the fall, devours it. The stories related of its carrying off animals, and 

 even children, in its talons, are absurd, for its claws are ill adapted to that 

 purpose, and it never attacks an animal till it is disabled either by sickness 

 or the mode just described, or wheu it is young ; nor is it even averse to 

 dead animals, or parts of them. 



The Ciypaetos. 



The Alpine Gypaete (G. Barbatus) is the largest, and fortunately the 

 rarest bird of prey found in the Old World; it measures about four feet 

 and a half in length, and from nine to ten in width. It feeds upon Chamois 

 Goats, Sheep, Calves, and young Deer ; but when pressed by hunger will 

 devour carcasses. It is found in the Swiss AJps, is common in the Tyrol 

 and Hungary, but very rare in Germany and the Pyrenees ; and builds its 

 nest in the most inaccessible rocks, where it lays two rough white eggs, 

 spotted with brown. (Plate 1.) 



This bird is the Lcemmer Geyer of the Germans, and was confounded 

 with the Condor by Cuvier, though their generic distinctions are suffi- 

 ciently obvious. 



FALCO. The Falcons, as a genus, are all rapacious ; but they differ in 

 the kind of prey on which they feed, the methods which they employ in 

 taking it, and the facility with which they can be instructed for, and sub- 

 dued to, the use of man. Hence has originated the old division of this 



Head of Falcon. 



genus into the noble and ignoble birds of prey ; and it 

 may seem strange that the Eagle, the king of the birds, is 

 not to be found in the first. Large in size, however, as it 

 is, and powerful above all the other individuals of the 

 genus, it still is far short of the true Falcons, or even the 

 Hawks, in ardour of pursuit, and in the dexterity employed 

 by them to seize their prey ; for whilst these strike their victim on the wing, 

 and with a speed and certainty almost incredible, the Eagles are capable of 

 capturing such prey only as they can seize on the ground, in this par- 

 ticular resembling the Buzzards and the Kites, the former of which are 

 remarkable for their indolence, and the little activity they exhibit in their 

 predatory pursuits. 



All the species of this genus are monogamous, or living in pairs ; and 

 the male is a third less in size than the female, whence it has been called a 

 Tiercelet. 



The Falcons are arranged into seven subgenera : 



1. Falcons including such species as are remarkable for their courage, 

 whence they have been called the noble birds of prey. They are extivnirlv 

 docile, and on that account are chosen for the purposes of falconry, in which 

 they are trained at the order of their master to pursue other birds, and 

 return obedient to his call. 



The Peregrine Falcon (Plate 2), also called the Passenger Falcon, belongs 

 to this division. It is about fifteen inches in length, and bears a great 

 resemblance to the Hobby. The upper parts are ashy blue, the head and 

 upper part of the neck are black, the beak is blue, the cere yellow, as is 

 also the skin encircling the eyes and the iris; the throat is white, and 

 slightly marked with delicate, longitudinal, black stripes, the other inferior 

 parts white, and striped transversely with brown ; the feet yellow. It is a 

 native of all the mountainous districts of Europe, and rarely seen in the 

 low grounds, but never in marshes. 



The following are species of this division : The Hobby, the Merlin, the 

 Kestril, natives of England ; the Jer-Falcon, the Lanner, and the Ingrian 

 Fakon, of Northern Europe; the F. Tinnunculoides and F. Aldrovandi, 

 east and south of Europe ; the Fishing Falcon, the Black-thighed Falcon, 

 the F. Punctatus, the Rufous-backed Kestril, from Africa, Mauritius, and 

 the Cape ; the Carolina Kestril, the Red-thiglied Kestril, of America ; and 

 the Hooded Falcon, the F. Chicquera, and F. Lophotes, of India. 



2. Hawks remarkable for the rapidity of their flight, but they do not 

 wheel in circles in the air except at pairing-time ; they seize their prey on 

 the wing ; are cunning and cruel ; they commonly live in the woods, and 

 particularly in those which are near rocky situations. 



The Hawks are themselves divided into Gos-hawks and True Hawks. 

 Species of the former, varying in size from twelve to twenty-two inches, 

 are found in Europe, America, the Tropics, and in New Holland ; species 

 of the latter, which have the tarsi rather long, smooth, and scutellated, are 

 also widely extended, and under various appellations. The Sparrow-hawk 

 belongs to this class : it is about twelve inches long, is common in Europe, 

 and is very courageous ; it is occasionally taught to fly at Partridges and 

 Quails. 



3. Eagles. These comprise the largest and most powerful birds of the 

 genus : they stoop upon their prey, and bearing it aloft in their claws, carry 

 it to their nest, where they tear it in pieces ; they rarely feed upon carrion, 

 except when pressed by hunger. Temminck thinks there exists no line of 

 distinction between the Eagles and the Hawks. 



They are divided into True Eagks, Trite Fishing Eagles, Ospreys, 

 Harpies, and Hawk Eagles. 



The Booted Eagle (Plate 2) is a species of the True Eagles. It is a 

 beautiful bird, but is of small size, the male measuring only seventeen and 

 the female eighteen inches. It is distinguished by a tuft of white feathers 

 at the insertion of its wings, its legs feathered to the toes, and its tail 

 entirely brown above ; native of the eastern parts of Europe. 



The Sea Eagle (Plate 2) belongs to the True Fishing Eagles. It is 

 about three feet in length, and more than seven in width ; when young, its 

 plumage is brown, with a bright brown stripe down the middle of each 



