251 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



ORDER VI.-GRALL^l: WADING BIRDS. 



.Family I. Rallidse - - 

 II. Scolopacidas - 

 III. Charadriidae - 

 IV. Otididae - - 

 V. Gruidae - - 

 VI. Psophiidae 



Rails. 



Snipes. 



Plovers. 



Bustards. 



Cranes. 



Trumpeters. 



ORDER VII. HERODIONES : HERONS. 



Family I. Ardeidae - - - 

 II. Ciconiidse - - - 

 III. Plataleidae - - 

 ,, IV. Phaenicopteridae 



Herons proper. 

 Storks. 

 Spoonbills. 

 Flamingoes . 



ORDER VIII.-ANSERES: GEESE. 

 Family I. Palamedeidae - - - - Screamers. 

 II. Anatidae ----- Ducks. 



ORDER IX. STEGANOPODES : PELICANS. 



Family I. Fregatidae Frigate-birds. 



,, II. Pkaethontidite - - - - Tropic-birds. 

 ,, III. Pelecanida; .... Pelicans. 



ORDER X. GAVLE: SEA-BIRDS. 



Family I. Laridae Gulls. 



II. Procellariidae - - - - Petrels. 



ORDER XI. PYGOPODES : GREBES. 

 ORDER XII. IMPENNES : PENGUINS. 

 ORDER XIII. CRYPTURI : TINAMOUS. 



DIVISION II.RATIT^E : STRUTHIOUS BIEDS. 

 DIVISION III. SAURUR2E : LIZARD-TAILED BIRDS. 



It has been already stated that birds are divisible into three great sections, and attention is 

 now directed to those which have a keel to the sternum, and which are good flyers the Carinate Birds 

 (CARINATJE). 



CHAPTER III. 



DIVISION I THE CARINATE BIRDS (CARINATvE). 



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. 



THE first order of birds to be considered is the birds of prey (Accipitres}. They are all remark- 

 able for strong and sharply-hooked bills, and most of them have sharp and powerful talons. In 

 the Eagles and Falcons these characters are developed in the highest degree, although many modifica- 

 tions of their structure take place in the order the Vultures, for instance, and other carrion-feeding 

 birds, not having such a hooked bill as the true Falcons and Eagles, while their feet are larger and 

 more adapted for holding their prey than for striking it down in full career, as the Falcons do. In 

 most of the birds of prey the female is larger than the male, and is much the more powerful bird. This 

 fact is always recognised in falconry, especially in the short-winged Hawks, such as Sparrow-Hawks 

 or Goshawks, whose females are always preferred, as possessing the greater power for holding ground 

 game, such as Rabbits, Hares, &c. The difference in size is not very noticeable in the Vultures, 

 but is unmistakable in the long-legged Sparrow-Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons. The form of the 

 breast-bone, which plays such an important part in the classification of other bii'ds, is a character of 

 less value in the birds of prey, as it varies to a great extent even in those species which, by their 

 liabits and general structure, are most closely allied. Another character possessed by these birds is the 

 distinct cere, which is present in all, though much hidden by bristles in the Owls : it is a waxy 

 covering to the base of the bill, often hard, but generally fleshy in substance. 



Birds of prey are of three kinds : Hawks, Ospreys, and Owls. Under the first name is in- 

 cluded every rapacious bird which . is not an Osprey or an Owl, and, therefore, the first thing to find 



