ornithologist's text-book. 165 



much hooked. In this subfamily we find the most 

 powerful and destructive birds of the Family, as 

 well as others, which, partaking more of the Vul- 

 turine form and disposition, are less predacious, 

 and frequently content themselves with prey already 

 dead, or, in some instances, with carrion. Towards 

 the further extremity other forms are met with, 

 which connect this Subfamily more immediately 

 with the Accipitrin<B and others of the Order. 



" Genus AQUILA, Briss. EAGLE. 



(i Generic Characters. — Bill strait at the base, 

 strong, much hooked at the point, compressed, 

 with the sides inclining upwards, and forming a 

 narrow ridge or culmen. The tomia or cutting- 

 edges of the upper mandibles having a faint obtuse 

 lobe, situated behind the commencement of the 

 hook. Nostrils oval lateral, transversely placed in 

 the cereous part of the bill. Space between the 

 nostrils and eye-orbits thinly covered with radiat- 

 ing hairs. Wings ample ; with the fourth and fifth 

 quill-feathers the longest in each wing. Legs 

 having the tarsi thickly clothed with feathers to the 

 toes. Toes rather short, the outer and middle ones 

 united at the base by a membrane. Claws very 

 strong, hooked, and very sharp, grooved beneath; 

 those upon the outer and hind toes the largest. 



" The members of this genus are not less distin- 

 guished for their size and strength than for those 

 bold and destructive habits, in which they emulate 

 the typical subdivisions of the Family. They do 

 not, however, possess the same facility of pursuing 

 their prey upon wing, which we see in the Falcons 

 and Hawks ; for though their flightis very powerful, 

 they are not capable of the rapid evolutions that 

 attend the aerial attacks of the above named 



