DESCRIPTIVE LIST 159 



and was sent to the Museum in the flesh by P. L. Woodward. Mr. Woodward had 

 previously written in regard to the occurrence of small doves in his locality. We 

 are, therefore, led to suppose that its occurrence in that region is somewhat more 

 than accidental. There appears to be no authentic record of its breeding in North 

 Carolina. 



This is a tiny pigeon, little larger than a Bobolink or Cedar Bird. It is a bird of 

 the fields and open woods. In Florida, Pearson has found.the nests of this species 

 situated on the ground, on the top of stumps, on the larger limbs of orange trees, 

 on the horizontal rails supporting Scuppernong grape-vines, and once in a cabbage 

 palm. He describes it as a very confiding little bird, much frequenting orchards, 

 fields, and door-yards, and states that when taking flight it often strikes its wing- 

 tips together, thus producing a sound like that made in the same way by the Mourn- 

 ing Dove. 



XII. ORDER RAPTORES. BIRDS OF PREY 



This order includes the hawks, eagles, vultures, kites, falcons, and owls. All are 

 birds with strongly hooked beaks which are covered at the base with a cere or cover- 

 ing of naked skin and through which the nostrils open. Except in the vultures, the 

 claws are sharp and curved. 



KEY TO FAMILIES 



1. Head entirely naked in adult, hind toe elevated, short. Cathartidce, American Vultures. 



1. Head nearly or quite fully feathered, hind toe on a level with the rest. See 2. 



2. Eyes directed forward, surrounded by a more or less complete disk of radiating feathers. Owls. 



See3. 



2. Eyes directed sideways, as usual in birds (not surrounded by a disk of radiating feathers except 



in the marsh hawk). Hawks and Eagles. See 4. 



3. Facial disk subtriangular. Middle claw pectinate. Aluconidos, Barn Owls. 



3. Facial disk subcircular. Middle claw not pectinate. Strigidce, Owls. 



4. Outer toe reversible, claws all of same length, narrowed and rounded on lower side. Pan- 



dionidos, Ospreys. 



4. Outer toe not reversible, claws graduated in size, the hind claw the largest, the outer claw the 



smallest. See 5. 



5. Nostrils small, circular, with a conspicuous central bony tubercle; cutting edge of upper man- 



dible with a strong tooth separated from hooked tip of bill by a distinct notch. Falconidce, 

 Falcons. 

 5. Nostrils not circular, nor with an inner bony tubercle. Buteonidce, Hawks and Eagles. 



29. FAMILY CATHARTID>. AMERICAN VULTURES 



This family is composed of large Raptores, which have the hind toe short and 

 elevated, the head naked, and the claws blunt and but slightly curved. They feed 

 almost exclusively on carrion. Some of the largest birds of flight belong to this 

 family. The Condor of the Andes, and the California Condor of our Pacific States, 

 sometimes have an expanse of wings of nearly twelve feet. 



KEY TO GENERA 



1. Wings very long, primaries reaching to end of tail or further (when wings are closed). Tail 



rounded, nostrils large and broad. Cathartes. 

 1. Wings short, primaries scarcely reaching middle of tail. Tail truncate, nostrils small and 



narrow. Catharista. 



