404 CONDOR. 
numerous as well as less intricate in the characters of the 
species than the Falconidce, of which we have treated under 
the head of Falco Cooperit, has nevertheless much exercised 
the ingenuity of ornithologists, who nearly all disagree both 
as to its limits and its subdivisions. With respect to the 
former, those recognised by us will be clear and well defined, 
this family being constituted of the two modern genera Vultur 
and Cathartes of Illiger, which we adopt with some modifi- 
cations, as will be seen hereafter. Contrary to the general 
practice, we discard from it the aberrant genera forming the 
passage to other groups, in which we prefer arranging them. 
The groups towards which a direct passage is the most 
obvious are the family of apaces or Falconide, and some 
typical Galline and aberrant waders. With neither the 
FPasseres 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 
‘Gypaétus and Gypogeranus approach so near them as even 
to have strong claims to be included in the same family, 
being almost exactly intermediate between Falconide and 
Vulturide. 
Although the Vultwride 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 Vaultur 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, the 
divisions have been more easily made and admitted. Let 
us analyse them. [Iliger was the first to separate the species 
into his two genera Cathartes and Vultur: we say the first, 
