1 66 CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



The largest members of the group are the Great Horned or 

 Eagle-Owls, of which the Great Eagle-Owl {Bubo ignavus) is 

 sometimes caught in Great Britain, while the Pigmy-Owls are the 

 smallest, being little more than half the size of the Barn-Owl. 

 Interesting modifications of habit are found in the Hawk-Owl 

 {Surnia ulula) of North Europe and Asia, which hunts its prey 

 during the day; the Fish-Owls of Africa and South Asia, which 

 frequent the neighbourhood of streams and lakes; and the little 

 Burrowing-Owl {Speotito cunicularid) of America, which lives in 

 the burrows excavated by rodents. 



Order 4. —Parrots {Psittact) 



Parrots and the like constitute a large and well-marked group, 

 the characters of which are familiar to almost everybody. The 

 beak is short, stout, and hooked, a remarkable feature being that 

 the upper jaw can be moved up and down as well as the lower 

 jaw. A prominent cere is present. The legs are short and 

 strong, while the feet are modified to serve as climbing organs, 

 the fourth as well as the first toe being turned permanently back- 

 wards. The hooked beak is also used in climbing. The young 

 birds are hatched in a helpless condition. The group is essentially 

 tropical and sub-tropical, and is most abundantly represented, as 

 regards number of species, in Australasia, from Celebes east- 

 wards; while in abundance of individuals South America stands 

 pre-eminent. 



Probably the most familiar form is the common Grey Parrot 

 {Psittacus erithacus) of Equatorial Africa. Its short square-ended 

 red tail is distinctive. The Cockatoos, distinguished by their 

 crests, are natives of Australia and the eastern Malay Islands, 

 ranging also into the Philippines. The gorgeous long - tailed 

 Macaws range from South America into Mexico, while the little 

 Love-Birds are limited to Madagascar and Africa south of the 

 Sahara. The Parrotlets are diminutive South American forms. 

 Two small and peculiar families of parrots are confined to New 

 Zealand and the neighbouring islands. One of these includes 

 the Nestor- Parrots, of which the form known as the Kea {Nestor 

 notabilis) has earned an evil reputation by its acquired habit of 

 preying on sheep. The other family is constituted solely for the 

 reception of the Kakapo or Owl- Parrot {Stringops habroptilus). 



