CONDOR. 321 



other groups, in which we prefer arranging them. The groups towards 

 which a direct passage is the most obvious are the family of Rapaces, or 

 Falconidce ; and some typical GralUnce and aberrant Waders. With 

 neither the Passeres nor the webfooted orders (unless it may be with 

 the Frigate-Bird), do we perceive any immediate relations. The passage 

 to these takes place through the intervention of the three other orders, 

 in the first of which the genera G-ypaetus and Gypogeranus approach 

 so near them as even to have strong claims to be included in the same 

 family, being almost exactly intermediate between Falconidce and Vul- 

 turidce. 



Although the Vulturidce are far from exhibiting the same diversity 

 of conformation, habits, and appetites, as the numerous tribe of the 

 Falcons, and form indeed as a whole a much more compact mass, and 

 much less numerous in species, yet even those naturalists with Illiger at 

 their head, who have left untouched the great genus Falco, have joined 

 unanimously with the reformers in dividing that of Vultur into two 

 great equivalent genera. This course, though we imitate it ourselves, 

 we must confess to be more expedient than consistent, and it is probable 

 that for the very reason that differential traits are less numerous and 

 complicated in the different species, that the divisions have been more 

 easily made and admitted. Let us analyze them. Illiger was the first 

 to separate the species into his two genera Cathartes and Vultur : we 

 say the first, excluding Storr and Lac^pSde, who long since with so much 

 reason withdrew Gypaetus from the genus, and not adverting to the 

 artificial section made by Dum^ril in the year 1806, under the name of 

 SarcorampJiUB, for the stout-billed carunculated species indiscriminately. 

 The characters assigned by Illiger were precise and natural, and the 

 species he cited as examples correctly typical. But Temminck in adopt- 

 ing Illiger's two genera, misapplied the characters, and rendered them 

 unnatural by declaring the Vultur Percnopterus a Cathartes, whilst it 

 is in fact a slender-billed Vultur, as the Condor is a stout-billed Ca- 

 thartes. Deceived by Temminck, we at first adopted this erroneous 

 view, which we have finally rectified in our Observations on the second 

 edition of the Begne Animal of Cuvier. In returning to what we con- 

 sider the principles of Illiger, as they certainly are the dictates of rea- 

 son, it so happens that this genus Cathartes, as is often the case, is 

 found to correspond to a geographical division, being exclusively Amer- 

 ican, whilst that of Vultur is in like manner confined to the old conti- 

 nent. The other genera which have been proposed among the Vulturidce 

 may be considered as groups of secondary importance. 



Thus the three European species* belong, according to Savigny, to 



* Euppel reckons four. He makes two of V. fulvus, considering the Chasse- 

 fiente of Le Vaillant a distinct species. 

 Vol. III.— 21 



