KEY TO FAMILIES. 



49 



a. Middle toe-nail with a comblike edge. . . . Family Strigidce : Barn 

 Owls (Fig. 30), p. 213. 



b. Middle toe-nail without a oomblike edge. . . . Family Buhonidx: 

 HoKMED Owls, Hoot Owls (Fig. 29, a), p. 213. 



Fra. 32. 



Fig. 33. 



£. Eyes not set in a striking facial disk ; tarsus mostly bare, plumage 

 firm and close. 



a. Plumage, in our species, black ; hind toe small, claws blunt; bill 

 not sharply hooked ; head generally bare. . . . Family Catlcartidm: 

 American Vultures (Fig. 32), p. 191. 



b. Hind toe generally as long as or longer than the shortest front one ; 

 toes armed with sharp, curved nails or talons; bill with a sharp 

 hook, head not bare. . . . Family Falconidce: Falcons, Kites, 

 Hawks, Eagles (Figs. 29, b, 33), etc., p. 193. 



Order XHI. Psittaci. — 



Parrots, Paroquets, etc. 

 Toes four, two in front and 

 two behind ; bill with a cere. 

 . . . Family Psittacidm : Par- 

 rots and Paroquets (Fig. 34), 

 p. 222. 



Fig. 34. 



Order XrV. Coccyges.— Cuckoos and 

 Kingfishers. 

 Toes four, the middle and outer ones 

 joined for lialf their length (Kingfishers), 

 or two in front and two behind (Cuckoos) ; 

 bill without a cere; tail-feathers not stiff 

 and pointed. 



