RAY. 153 



regard being had to the state of science at the time 

 when they were written. Some of them, indeed, are 

 very imperfect, and there is, besides, a deficiency 

 of method, which becomes more striking when they 

 are compared with those of Temminck or Selby, or 

 any other of our best modern ornithologists. 



In this important work birds are divided into 

 Terrestrial and Aquatic. The former are disposed 

 in the following order : — 



In the first place, land-birds are either furnished 

 with hooked-bill and claws, or have these organs 

 nearly straight. 



Those with hooked-bill are carnivorous and pre- 

 datory or frugivorous. The former are either diur- 

 nal, that is, hunt by day, or nocturnal, seeking 

 their food by night. 



The diurnal carnivorous birds are either large, 

 as the eagles and vultures, or small. Of the former 

 there are two kinds, the generous, as the peregrine 

 falcon, lanner, goshawk, &c. ; and the ignoble, as 

 the buzzard, kite, &c. The smaller predatory birds 

 are the shrikes, and birds of paradise. 



The nocturnal birds of prey are the owls. 



The frugivorous birds with hooked-bill are the 

 macarvs, pat-rots, and parrakeets. 



Those having the bill and claws nearly straight, 

 are divided into large, middle-sized, and small. 

 The large are the ostrich, emeu, and dodo; the 

 middle-sized are the C7'orvs and rvoodpeckers, pea- 

 cock, pigeons, &c. ; the small are such birds as the 

 swallofi) and lark, which have the bill slender, and 

 the sparrow, greenfinch, &c., in which it is thick. 



The aquatic birds are of two kinds ; some fre- 

 quent watery places, without being capable of 



