56 CASSELL'S BOOK 01 BIRDS. 



and those on the back gleam with a greyish blue lustre, whilst such as clothe the inner side of the legs 

 are marked with small light streaks. The wings are blackish brown adorned with narrow greyish blue 

 lines; the tail-feathers are blackish brown at the root and tip, white in the middle, and surrounded by 

 a narrow dirty white border. The eye is brownish yellow, the cere and base of the lower mandible 

 yellow, the upper part of the beak greyish black, the feet light yellow. The young are yellow or 

 brownish yellow; the feathers upon the hinder parts have blackish brown spots at their tips, and the 

 wings and tail-feathers are striped with yellow and brown. 



The Urubitinga is, without question, the noblest and most courageous member of its family, and, 

 according to the Brazilians, is a very dangerous foe to monkeys, small quadrupeds, birds, lizards, and 

 snakes ; it also eagerly devours grasshoppers and snails ; in order to obtain these it prefers to make its 

 home in the forests, upon the outskirts of which it loves to linger ; it is occasionally, but rarely, seen 

 in the open country. The Prince von Wied tells us that he has often found this bird perched in the 

 branches of some thickly-foliaged tree, surrounded by a host of feathered tormentors, who were doing 

 their best to excite it to frenzy ; these amiable endeavours, however, had no visible result ; the nobler 

 bird sat still, tranquilly pursuing its meditations, apparently quite unconscious that it was the subject 

 of their gibes and raillery. The flight of the Urubitmga is majestic, and capable of being long 

 sustained ; its voice is very shrill, and composed of but two notes. The eyrie is usually constructed 

 upon such inaccessible trees as grow near the banks of a river. We learn from Burmeister that the 

 eggs, two in number, are elongated, and white, spotted with various shades of reddish brown. 



The VULTURE FALCONS {Polybori) are a family of birds inhabiting South America. Their 

 bodies are slender, their wings comparatively short, their tails long, broad, and rounded at the 

 extremity ; the tarsi are high and thin, the toes weak and of moderate size, the claws pointed and 

 but slightly curved ; the beak is long, straight towards its base, hooked at its tip, and straight at the 

 margins. The plumage is harsh, and composed of large feathers ; those upon the head are pointed. 

 The cheek-stripes are always, the throat and brow occasionally bare ; the eye has long lashes. 



The members of this family may be regarded as holding in South America the place occupied in 

 Europe by the Raven, Magpie, and Crow. They frequent all parts of the country in large numbers, 

 and live in such close proximity to man, that they are literally found at his very door. Two species of 

 this group are particularly fond of the society of the human race, and are met with throughout the land, 

 on every spot where even the smallest settlement has been established ; others frequent the sea-coast, 

 upon which they obtain the means of subsistence ; and some inhabit the woods, feeding, in a great 

 measure, upon fruits and berries. Carrion and offal have, however, the greatest attractions for the 

 Vulture Falcons, and wherever these are to be met with hundreds are certain to appear. The flight of 

 these birds is so peculiar as to cause them to be recognised even at a great distance ; in consequence 

 of the equal length of the quills, the wings appear square when extended, and the tail is kept fully 

 spread, whilst they travel through the air with a slow, sweeping kind of stroke ; occasionally, however, 

 they fly with considerable rapidity. When upon the ground their gait closely resembles that of the 

 True Vulture. The sight and hearing of this family are keen, and their other senses tolerably acute ; 

 that of smell they certainly possess, and the nostrils are always moist. In disposition they are bold 

 and insolent, and would willingly be extremely social ; their shrill Hawk-like cry, however, renders it 

 undesirable to cultivate their intimate acquaintance. Their nest is built upon the ground or on the 

 branches of trees ; the eggs, from two to six in number, are round, and spotted like those of Falcons. 

 Both parents assist in the cares of incubation, and are much attached to their young. Although 

 extremely numerous in their native land these birds are but seldom brought to Europe, and are 

 therefore always numbered amongst the rarities of our zoological collections, 



