chap, xvin.] BIRDS. 351 



In Mr. Sharpe's Catalogue (published while this work was 

 passing through the press) the genera of Owls are reduced to 19, 

 arranged in two families — Strigidae, containing our last two 

 genera, and Bubonidae, comprising the remainder. The species 

 are increased to 190; but some genera are reduced, as Strix, 

 which is said to contain only 5 species. 



General Remarks on the Distribution of the Accipitres. 



The Birds of Prey are so widely distributed over the world's 

 surface that their general distribution calls for few remarks. Of 

 the four families all but one are cosmopolites, Vultures alone being 

 absent from the Australian region, as well as from Indo-Malaya 

 and Madagascar. If we take the sub-families, we find that each 

 region has several which are confined to it. The only parts of 

 the world where there is a marked deficiency of Accipitres is in 

 the islands of the Pacific ; and it may be noted, as a rule, that 

 these birds are more abundant in continents than in islands. 

 There is not so much difference between the number of Birds of 

 Prey in tropical and temperate regions, as is found in most 

 other groups of laud-birds. North America and Europe have 

 about 60 species each, while India has about 80, and South 

 America about 120. The total number of Accipitres is 550 

 comprised in 104 genera, and 4 (or perhaps more properly 5) 

 families. In this estimate I have not included the Serpen- 

 tariidae, containing the Secretary Bird of Africa, as there is 

 some doubt whether it really belongs to the Order. 



Order VIII.—GRALLM 



Family 99.— PiALLID^E. (18 Genera, 153 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



The Rails are among the most widely distributed families of 

 birds, many of the genera being cosmopolitan, and several of the 



