560 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Itaptores. Genus Neophron, Sav. Cathartes, Illig. Percnopte- 

 'rus, Cuv. Bill long, slender, rounded, inflated at the 

 curvature of the upper mandible, which is much hooked 

 at the extremity. Nostrils median, oval, longitudinal, 

 open. Cere covering two thirds of the bill. Face, cheeks, 

 and throat naked, also a space extending down the middle 

 of the neck. Tongue oblong, linear. Tail of fourteen 

 feathers. 



These birds are inhabitants of the ancient world. They 

 are less powerful than the true vultures, and of smaller 

 size, but are still more useful in their scavengerial func- 

 tions, their love of putrid flesh, and of all impurities, be- 

 ing insatiable. The rachainach of Bruce, or gingi vul- 

 ture of Sonnerat (Neophron percnoplerus, Sav.), affords a 

 characteristic example. See Plate CCCLXXXVIII. fig. 4. 

 It is equal in size to a raven, the throat and cheeks na- 

 ked, the feathers of the head and back of the neck long, 

 narrow, and pointed. The plumage of the male is white, 

 except the quill-feathers, which are black ; that of the fe- 

 male and young is brown. This species has been described 

 under a great variety of names. It occurs in several parts 

 of Europe, more especially in Spain, Italy, and the Island 

 of Elba. It is likewise widely distributed over Africa, 

 where it is known to the Hottentots by the name of hou- 

 goop. It was held in great respect by the ancient Egyp- 

 tians, and is frequently represented on the monuments of 

 that mysterious people. It is said to follow caravans 

 through the desert, for the sake of devouring every dead 

 or unclean thing. We may add, that it has occurred once 

 or twice in England. 



Genus Gypaetos, Storr. Bill strong, straight, curved 

 at the point, and somewhat inflated at the curvature. 

 Cere basal, covered by strong bristly feathers pointing 

 forwards. Nostrils oblique, oval, concealed by bristles. 

 Tongue thick, i fleshy, bifid. Head feathered. A tuft of 

 bristly or hair-like feathers beneath the bill. Tarsi short, 

 thick, feathered. Tail-feathers twelve. 



This genus contains only a single species, the cele- 

 brated lammer-geyer, or bearded vulture of the Alps (G. 

 barbatus). See Plate CCCLXXXVIII. fig. 5. It is one 

 of the largest, or at least the longest-winged, of all the Eu- 

 ropean birds of prey, haunting the highest mountains, and 

 preying on lambs, goats, chamois, marmots, &c. Its 

 strength and prowess are probably exaggerated, for al- 

 though its powers of wing are undoubtedly great, its legs 

 and talons are proportionally more feeble than those of 

 eagles and falcons. It is said not unfrequently to secure 

 its alpine prey by descending upon it suddenly with rush- 

 ing wing, and driving it over a precipice, devouring the 

 shattered limbs at leisure. It builds among inaccessible 

 precipices, and lays two eggs. It is now one of the rarest 

 of the birds of Europe, though formerly not uncommon 

 among the mountains of Tyrol, Switzerland, and Germany. 

 The peasant sportsmen of the last century often killed 

 them, and one, Andreas Durner by name, is quoted by M. 

 Michahelles as having shot sixty-five with his own hand. 

 Though a bird of rare occurrence, the bearded vulture is 

 very extensively distributed. In Europe it haunts the 

 steeps of the Pyrenean Mountains, and the central Alps 

 from Piedmont to Dalmatia ; it is described by MM. Larey 

 and Savigny as occurring in Egypt, and by Bruce as an 

 inhabitant of Abyssinia ; it has been received both from 

 Northern Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, by M. Tem- 

 minck ; in Asia it is known to cast its cloud-like shadow 

 over the vast steppes of the Siberian deserts ; while not 

 many years have elapsed since Professor Jameson re- 



ceived it from the snow-cappeu ranges oi tne Himalaya Raptorps. 

 Mountains. s — " "-v""— 



The bird described by Bruce under the title of Abou 

 DucKn, or Father Long-Beard, is certainly identical with 

 the lammer-geyer, although we have been sometimes puz- 

 zled to reconcile the comparatively feeble feet of the beau- 

 tiful series submitted to our examination by Professor 

 Jameson, with the meat-bearing prowess of the Abyssinian 

 instance. On the loftiest summit of the mountain of La- 

 mallon, while the traveller's servants were refreshing them- 

 selves after the fatigues of a toilsome ascent, and enjoying 

 the pleasures of a delightful climate and a good dinner of 

 goat's flesh, a lammer-geyer suddenly made his appearance 

 among them. A great shout, or rather cry of distress, 

 attracted the attention of Bruce, who, while walking to- 

 wards the bird, saw it deliberately put its foot into a pan 

 containing a huge piece of meat prepared for boiling. 

 Finding the temperature, however, somewhat higher than 

 it was accustomed to among the pure gushing springs of 

 that rocky and romantic region, it suddenly withdrew, but 

 immediately afterwards settled upon two large pieces which 

 lay upon a wooden platter, and transfixing them with its 

 talons, carried them off. It then disappeared over the edge 

 of a " steep Tarpeian rock," down which criminals were 

 sometimes thrown, and whose mangled remains may be 

 supposed to have first induced the bird to select the spot 

 as a place of sojourn. The traveller, in expectation of an- 

 other visit, immediately prepared his arms, and it was not 

 long before the gigantic creature re-appeared. 



As when a vulture on Imaus bred, 



Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, 



Dislodging from a region scarce of prey, 



To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids 



On hills where flocks are fed, flies towards the springs 



Of Ganges or Hydaspes, Indian streams ; 



But on his way lights on the barren plains 



Of Sericana, where Chineses drive 



With sails and wind their cany waggons light :— 



So landed with far-stretched fanning pinions our lammer- 

 geyer, within ten yards of his expected savoury mess, 

 but also within an equal distance of Bruce's practised 

 rifle, which instantly sent a ball through its ponderous 

 body, and the magnificent bird sunk down upon the grass, 

 with scarce a flutter of its outspread wings. 



We may here close our brief notice of the first great 

 family of the raptorial order, merely remarking farther, 

 that the species last alluded to, though not so regarded by 

 any of our systematic writers, appears to us to bear a great 

 resemblance to the kites. 



FAMILY II— FALCONIOE. 



This extensive family corresponds to the ancient unre- 

 stricted genus Falco, now greatly subdivided by modern 

 naturalists, but not yet very satisfactorily arranged. 1 It 

 contains a vast assemblage of eagles, hawks, buzzards, 

 kites, &c, all characterized by a more or less curved bill, 

 of which the upper mandible is strongly hooked ; by ob- 

 vious or open nostrils, pierced in an almost always naked 

 cere ; and by curved retractile pointed talons. The head 

 is never bare of feathers, as in most of the preceding fa- 

 mily, and the eye-brows are usually bony and projecting. 



The geographical distribution of the Falconidae, consi- 

 dered in their generality, is universal, one or more species 

 being found in all known countries from Spitzbergen to 



1 The genus Falco, which in the days of Linnaeus did not exceed thirty-two different kinds, amounts, in the last edition of Dr 

 Latham's Synopsis, to 247. We have no doubt it now exceeds 300 species, even although many of Latham's names are reducible 

 to the rank of synonyms. 



