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ORDER IV. 

 ACCIPITRES. 



RAPACIOUS BIRDS, AND BIRDS OF PREY. 



WE are now to notice birds of very different habits from 

 those of the preceding orders. They, though some of them 

 are courageous in their combats with each other, and most of 

 them are bold in defence of their young, are peaceable toward 

 the rest of the warm-blooded creation, whether living bird or 

 quadruped. Instances have occurred of some of them killing 

 mice, and even small birds, and the greater part of them will 

 eat any animal garbage, or offal; but they are killed in many 

 more instances than they kill; and the flesh of all of them is 

 not only eaten, but highly prized for its wholesomeness and 

 flavour. 



The birds of prey are, on the other hand, of no use to man 

 as food, and they live by rapine and plunder, for the perpe- 

 tration of which they are very powerfully armed by nature. 

 They never use their weapons for mere purposes of gallantry 

 and mastery, as is the case with many of the males among 

 the gallinaceous birds. They attack that they may kill; and 

 kill for no other purpose than that of eating the slain. In a 

 natural point of view, we cannot call them cruel ; for it is no 

 more cruel in an eagle to eat hares, than it is in a hare to 

 eat green leaves; and no more cruel in a hawk to eat pigeons 

 than it is in a pigeon to eat pease. All the creatures which 

 nature produces, obey equally the laws which nature has 



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