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cilled by falconers a tarcel; that is, a tierce or third less than 

 the other. The reason of this difference cannot proceed from 

 the necessity of a larger body in the female for the purpose of 

 breeding, and that her volume is thus increased by the quan- 

 tity of her eggs ; for in other birds, that breed much faster, 

 and that lay in much greater proportion, such as the hen, the 

 duck, or the pheasant, the male is by n.uch the largest of the 

 two. 



Whatever be the cause, certain it is, that the females, as 

 Willoughby expresses it, are of greater size, more beautiful and 

 lovely for shape and colours, stronger, more fierce and generous, 

 than the males ; whether it may be that it is necessary for the 

 female to be thus superior, as it is incumbent upon her to pro- 

 vide, not only for herself, but her young ones also. 



These birds like quadrupeds of the carnivorous kind, are all 

 lean and meagre. Their flesh is stringy and ill-tasted, soon cor- 

 rupting, and tinctured with the flavour of that animal food upon 

 which they subsist. Nevertheless, Belonius asserts, that many 

 people admire the flesh of the vulture and falcon, and dress 

 them for eating, when they meet with any accident that unfits 

 them for the chase. He asserts, that the osprey, a species ol 

 the eagle, when young, is excellent food ; but he contents him- 

 self with advising us to breed these birds up for our pleasure 

 rather in the field, than for the table. 



Of land birds of a rapacious nature, there are five kinds. The 

 eagle kind, the hawk kind, the vulture kind, the horned and 

 the screech owl kind. The distinctive marks of this class are 

 taken from their claws and beak : their toes are separated : 

 their legs are feathered to the heel : their toes are four in 

 number ; three before, one behind : their beak is short, thick, and 

 crooked. 



The eagle kind is distinguished from the rest by his beak, 

 which is straight till towards the end, when it begins to hook 

 downwards. 



The vulture kind is distinguished by the head and neck ; 

 which are without feathers. 



The hawk ktnd by the beak ; being hooked from the very 

 root. 



Tlie horned owl by the feathers at the base of tiic bill stand- 



