GYPOGERANIDiE. 



of the last-mentioned family, with few exceptions, 

 flying (and feeding) by night, and those of the others 

 by day. 



Four families only are known belonging to this 

 Order, which may be thus divided : 



Structure well calculated for^ - T T7 . 



I t VuLTURiDiE. Vigors, 



rapine : prey upon superior V J 



. -, I I Falconid.e. Leach. 



animals 



Structure less calculated for 1 ( Strigid^e. Leach. 



S ) 



rapine ; prey upon inferior > s . . . ? 



animals: J * Gypogeranid^: ? Vigors. 



According to the plan before alluded to, the group 

 that our arrangement commences with will be 



FAMILY I.— GYPOGERANIDJE ? 



Rostrum capite brevior, compression ; lora glabra ; pedes longis- 



simi ; tarsi scutellati ; oculi laterales. 

 Beak shorter than the head, compressed; lores naked ; legs very 



long; tarsi scutellated ; eyes lateral. 



GENUS I.— GYPOGERANUS, Illiger. SNAKE-EATER. 



Serpentarius, Shaw. — Falco, Linne. — Vultur, Lath. — Sa- 

 gittarius, Vosmaer. 



This is the only genus belonging to this family; 

 it is therefore unnecessary to repeat the characters : 

 the single species known subsists on snakes, lizards, 

 tortoises, beetles, and other insects, and inhabits the 

 sandy deserts of Africa. 



