CLASS— AYES OR BIRDS. 



Animals possessed of vertebra, hreathmg atmospheric air with lungs ; having warm blood, and heart with four 

 chambers — Young hatched from eggs — Mouth modified into a horny beak without true teeth — Fore limbs 

 developed into wings, mostly clothed with feathers aiid used for flight ; hind limbs always used for standing, 

 or progression on earth or in water. 



Order. ACCIPITRES. — Bill rather compressed {i.e. flat- 

 tened sideways). Upper mandible sharp and hooked at tip ; 

 base with a b.are skin termed the "cere," in which the 

 nostrils are pierced. Wings long and pointed. Feet strong. 

 Tarsi (i.e. joint between toes and knee) covered with scales. 

 Toes three in front ^nd one behind, the soles rough, and the 

 claws strong and curved. 



Sub-order. ACCIPITRES DIURNI.— Eyes at sides of 

 head. Cere large and prominent. Tarsi moderate. 



Family. VIILTURIDiE.— Bill compressed. Tarsi short 

 and with net-like scales. Middle toe longer than tarsus, 

 hinder toe rather elevated, claws blunt. Mostly with down 

 on head and neck, and with a large crop. 



Snh-famihj. Gjrpaetinae. — Feathered on head and neck. 

 Cere hidden by bristly hairs. 



Genus. GTPAETUS.^Bill long, sharply curved at tip, 

 tuft of bristly hairs from lower mandible. Wings, second 

 and third quills longest and nearly equal. Tail long and 

 wedge-shaped. Tarsi feathered, very short. Front toes 

 united by membrane at base. Habitat — Mountain chains 

 of Europe, Asia, and Africa. 



Suh-famihj. Sarcorliampliinae. — Bill long and slender, 

 cere soft, nostrils longitudinal, large and oval. Tarsi long 

 with netted scales ; third toe mostly short and weak, two 

 outer front toes short and connected with membrane. 



Oeims. Sarcorhamphus. — Bill moderate, cere about 

 one-third its length, nostrils in middle of cere. Wings, 

 third and fourth qiiOls equal and longest. Tail moderate 

 and even. Tarsi short, feathered below knee, netted. Two 

 exterior toes equal and united with middle by membrane ; 

 hind toe weak. Head, neck and breast bare, fleshy canincle 

 above nostrils of male. Habitat^Most parts of America. 



Genus. Catharista. — Bill long, cere two - thirds its 

 length, nostrils in front of cere. Wings long, pointed, third 

 and fourth quills longest. Tarsi short, feathered below the 

 knee and netted. Head and upper part of neck bare. 



Geiuis. Neophron. — Bill very long and slender, cere 

 two-thirds its length, nostrils near middle of bill. Wings, 

 third quill longest. Tail wedge-shaped. Tarsi moderate, 

 feathered below knee, netted. Toes with strong scales 

 above, inner the strongest. Front of head and throat, and 

 the cheeks, bare. Habitat — Africa and India. 



Siih-family. Vulturinse. — Bill long, deeper than broad, 

 cere nearly half its length, tip very sharply curved, nostrils 

 in cere, and oblique. Middle toe longer than tarsi, others 

 much shorter. 



Oemts. VuLTUR. — Bill large, much arched from cere to 

 tip. Wings, first quill short, third and fourth longest. Tail, 

 shafts projecting. Middle toe united to outer. Feathered 

 ruff on neck, mo-stly downy crest on back of head, head 

 covereil with down. Habitat — Warm portions of Old World. 



Oenus. Otogyps. — Head and neck quite bai-e, long 

 wattles beneath the ears. Best like Vultur. 



Genus. Gyps. — Bill rather swollen at sides. Head and 

 neck covered with short down, ruff' of long pointed, or long 

 downy feathers. Rest like Vultur. Habitat — Warm por- 

 tions of Old Worid, 



Family. FALCONID.ffi;.— Bill with partial cere, com- 

 pressed, and keel curved from cere to tip, which is much 

 curved and shaqj, edges toothed or waved. Wings long and 

 pointed. Tail broad. Tarsi varied and strong, and claws 

 sharp and curved. Head and neck feathered, eyes sunk and 

 overshadowed by brow. 



Sub-family. Aquilinae. — Bill straight at base, and then 

 greatly arched at tip, edges waved ; nostrils in front of cere. 

 Tail long and large. Tarsi long, inner toe and claw strongest. 



Genus. Aquila. — Bill very much curved at tip and 

 sharp, sides much compressed, nostrils large and oblique. 

 Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest and equal. Tarsi 

 feathered to base of toes. Habitat — Most parts of world. 



Genus. Spizaetus. — Tarsi long and slender. Toes long 

 and powerful, inner much longer than outer, middle and 

 outer united by membrane, all covered with small scales 

 except a few larger at tip. Rest like Aquila. Habitat — 

 Asia, South America, and Africa. 



Genus. Herpetothere.s (or Cachibtna). — Bill short and 

 arched throughout ; nostrOs large and round. Wings, third, 

 fourth, and fifth quills longest and equal. Tail long and 

 rounded. Tai-si moderate, and netted. Toes with a few- 

 large scales at tips, rest with small scales. Habitat— South 

 America. 



Genus. Circaetus. — Bill like Aquila, nostrils large, ob- 

 lique, and rather oval. Wings like Aquila. Tail long and 

 even. Tarsi long, feathered below the knee and netted. 

 Toes short, scaled, outer united to middle. Habitat — Most 

 parts of world. 



Genus. Thrasaetus.— Bill like Aquila, nostrils nan-ow 

 and set rather crosswise. Wings, fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 quills longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi short, stout, 

 large-scaled in front, small-scaled at side. Toes powerful, 

 small-scaled at base, rest large-scaled. Habitat — Tropical 

 America. 



Genus. MoRPHNUS.— Bill like Aquila. Wings very long, 

 third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. Tail long and even. 

 Tarsi very long, small-scaled on sides, large-scaled on front 

 and back. Habitat — South America. 



Genus. Pandion. — Bill short and cun'ed from base. 

 Wings reaching to end of tail, second and third quills equal 

 and longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi, short, strong, netted. 

 Toes long, united at base to middle toe, claws much curved. 

 Habitat — Most parts of world. 



Genus. Haliaetds.— Bill like Aquila, nostrils narrow 

 and oblique. Wings long, third, fourth, and fifth quills 



