DIVISIONS OF BIRDS. 277 



4. Fissirostres. — The beak in the Fissirostral birds (Fig. 

 136, F) is generally short, and remarkably wide in its gape, 

 and the opening of the bill is protected by a number of 

 bristles. This arrangement is in accordance with the habits 

 of the Fissirostres, the typical forms of which live upon in- 

 sects and take their prey upon the wing. The most typical 

 Fissirostres, in fact, such as the Swallows and Goat-suckers, 

 fly about with their mouths open, and the insects which they 

 catch in this way are prevented from escaping, partly by the 

 bristles which border the gape, and partly by a sticky secretion 

 within the mouth. The most typical Fissirostral birds are the 

 Swallows and Martens (Sirundinidm), the Goat-suckers ( Ca- 

 primulgidce), and the Swifts {Gypselidce) ; but to these the 

 Bee-eaters {Meropidce) and the King-fishers (Alcedinidoe) are 

 usually added. 



Oedee VII. Eaptoees (Lat. rapto, I plunder). — The 

 Birds of Prey are characterized by the form of the beak, 

 which is adapted for tearing animal food (Fig. 137, B). The 

 upper mandible is the longest, hooked at its point, " strong, 

 curved, sharp-edged, and sharp-pointed, often armed with a 

 lateral tooth" (Owen). The body is extremely muscular; the 



Fio. 18T.— Eaptores. A, Foot of Peregrine Falcon ; B, Head of Buzzard. 



legs are robust, short, with three toes in front and one behind ; 

 all the toes armed with strong, curved, crooked claws or talons 

 (Fig. 137, A). They all feed upon the flesh of other animals, 

 which they either kill for themselves or find dead, and their 

 flight is generally extremely rapid and powerful. They are 

 not polygamous, and the female is larger than the male. They 

 usually build their nest in lofty and inaccessible situations, and 

 seldom lay more than four eggs. The young are hatched in 

 a naked and helpless condition. 

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