HINTS FOR STUDYING ORNITHOLOGY. 359 
wading, a third for scratching and walking ; and so on. 
You will thus be able to decide, at a glance, whether a 
bird belongs to the typical, the sub-typical, or the aber- 
vant orders ; and these are the first divisions. If its 
claws or talons are hooked and retractile, like those of a 
cat, you may be sure it belongs to the order Raptores, 
( fig. 50.) a, or birds of prey; if its hind toe is ona 
NS Fn a a et 
o 22 OS Gs tata 
SRR 
QS: ese s2 
level with the others, so as to rest upon the ground with 
them, and its claws are merely curved, and are not re- 
tractile, you may conclude it is of the order of perchers 
(Insessores) 6 ; while, if the hind toe is wanting, or is 
placed high up on the heel, you may feel assured that 
the species belongs to one of the three aberrant groups, 
composed of the gallinaceous (Rasores) ¢, the wading 
(Grallatores) d, and the swimming tribes (Vatatores) e. 
I shall now give you a short explanation of these pri- 
mary divisions. 
(444.) In the investigation of the rapacious order you 
will have no difficulty. A vulture, a hawk, and an owl, 
gives you a perfect idea of the Vulturide, the Falconide, 
and the Strigide: these are the only great divisions yet 
known, and they follow each other in beautiful succession. 
The family of vultures is so small, that you will have 
no great trouble in ascertaining the name of a species, by 
the help of some of the general works upon birds I shall 
presently name. You will also find a valuable paper 
upon them by Mr. Vigors, in the Zoological Journal.* 
* Vol. ii. 
AA 4& 
’ 
