CONTEXTS. ix 



PAGE 



PLATYPUS The most Bird-like Mammal Various Names Description Their Appearance and Movements in 

 Water Their Burrows Habits of an Individual kept in Confinement Used by Natives as Food- -How they 

 are Captured The Young- -A Family in Captivity The Snout Jaws Teeth Tongue Fore and Hind Feet 

 Heel Spur The Shoulder Girdle Breastbone Concluding Remarks on the Sub-orders Postscript . . . 227 



THE CLASS AVES. THE BIRDS. 

 CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION WING STRUCTURE AND FEATHERS DISTRIBUTION. 



Introduction Distinctive Characters of the Class Aves Power of Flight The Wing Its Structure The Six Zoo- 

 geographical Eegions of the Earth Birds peculiar to these Regions 235 



CHAPTER II. 



THE ANATOMY OF A BIRD. 



The Three Divisions of the Class Aves ANATOMY OF A BIRD The Skeleton Distinctive Features Peculiar Bone 

 Character The Skull Difference between the Skull of Birds and that of Mammals The Jawbones Vertebral 

 Column Sternum Fore-limbs Hind-limbs Toes The Muscular System How a Bird remains Fixed when 

 Asleep The Oil-gland The Nervous System The Brain The Eye The Ear The Digestive System The 

 Dental papillae The Beak Tongue Gullet Crop Stomach Uses of the Gizzard Intestine The Liver, 

 Pancreas, and Spleen The Blood and Circulatory System Temperature of Blood of a Bird Blood Corpuscles 

 The Heart The Respiratory System Lungs Air-sacs The Organs of Voice The Egg Classification of the 

 Class Aves .- 239 



CHAPTER III. 

 DIVISION L THE CARINATE BIRDS (CARINAT^E). 



THE ACCIPITRINE ORDER BIRDS OF PREY. 

 VULTURES AND CARACARAS. 



The Birds of Prey Distinctive Characters The Cere How the Birds of Prey are Divided Difference between a Hawk, 

 an Owl, and an Osprey The Three Sub-orders of the Accipitres Sub-order FALCONES Difference between the 

 Vultures of the Old World and the Vultures of the New World THE OLD WORLD VULTURES Controversy as to 

 how the Vultures reach their Prey Waterton on the Faculty of Scent Mr Andersson's, Dr. Kirk's, and Canon 

 Tristram's Views in Favour of Sight THE BLACK VULTURE THE GRIFFON VULTURE Its Capacity for Feeding 

 while on the Wing THE EARED VULTURE One of the Largest of the Birds of Prey Whence it gets its Name 

 THE EGYPTIAN VULTURE A Foul Feeder THE NEW WORLD VULTURES THE CONDOR Its Appearance 

 Power of Flight Habits THE KING VULTURE THE TURKEY VULTURE THE CARACARAS Distinctive 

 Characters Habits THE SECRETARY BIRD How it Attacks Snakes Habits Appearance THE CARIAMA . . 254 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE LONG-LEGGED HAWKS AND BUZZARDS. 



THE BANDED GYMNOGENE Habits Its Movable Tarsi THE HARRIERS Distinctive Features THE MARSH HARRIER 

 Habits Its Thievish Propensities THE HARRIER HAWKS Colonel Greyson's Account of their Habits THE 

 CHANTING GOSHAWKS Why so Called Habits THE TRUE GOSHAWKS Distinctive Characters- THE GOSHAWK 

 Distribution In Pursuit of its Prey Appearance THE SPARROW-HAWKS Distinctive Characters THE 

 COMMON SPARROW-HAWK HABITS Appearance THE BUZZARDS Their Tarsus THE COMMON BUZZARD Where 

 Found How it might be turned to Account Food Its Migrations Habits Appearance THE HARPY . . 267 



CHAPTER V. 



EAGLES AND FALCONS. 



THE EAGLES THE BEARDED EAGLE, OR LXMMERGEIEK A Visit to their Nest Habits A Little Girl carried off 

 Alive Habits in Greece Appearance Von Tschudi's and Captain Button's Descriptions of its Attacks 

 THE TRUE EAGLES THE WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE Eye Crystalline Lens How Eagles may be Divided THE 

 IMPERIAL EAGLE THE GOLDEN EAGLE In Great Britain Macgillivray's Description of its Habits Appearance 

 THE KITE EAGLE Its Peculiar Feet Its Bird's-nesting Habits THE COMMON HARRIER EAGLE THE INDIAN 

 SERPENT EAGLE THE BATELEUR EAGLE THE WHITE-TAILED EAGLE A Sea Eagle Story of Capture of some 

 Young THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE On the Wing THE COMMON KITE THE EUROPEAN HONEY KITE 

 Habits ANDERSSON'S PERN THE FALCONS The Bill-THE CUCKOO FALCONS THE FALCONETS THE 

 PEREGRINE FALCON Its Wonderful Distribution Falconry Names for Male, Female, and Young Hawks and 

 Herons THE GREENLAND JER-FALCON THE KESTRELS THE COMMON KESTREL Its Habits and Disposition . 277 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE OSPKEYS AND OWI. S. 



THE OSPREY Distribution Food How it Seizes its Prey Nesting Communities STRIGES, or OWLS-Distinctions 

 between Hawks and Owls Owls in Bird-lore and Superstition Families of the Sub-order THE FISH OWL 



b 



