' food so much as the flesli ot animals tliey themselves 

 have killed. Tliey will not be satisfied without the blood 

 of their victims, and when they find carrion meat they 

 leave it in disgust for their meaner brethren to feed on. 

 This disposition is 

 accompanied by a re- 

 markable conforma- 

 tion of the beak, 

 which in these birds 

 has a deep notch near 

 its roof or origin, thus 

 enabling them,ashere 

 shown, to wound and, 

 tear their prey with^ 

 greater facility. The 

 other varieties here 

 are the Ignoble Fal- 

 cons with simple, 

 and the Hawks with rather longitudinal nostrils, whilst 

 the honey-buzzard, osprey and kites, have an oblique 

 slit covered with a valve behind. These distinctions 

 will readily enable the visitor to distinguisli the several 

 kinds. Amongst the Hawks the most remarkable bird 

 is the Secretary. This strange bird, found in the Cape 

 of Good Hope, and called also the serpent-eater, from its 

 preying on tliose reptiles, has been attempted to he 

 naturalised by the French 

 at Martinique, for tlie i 

 purpose of destroying 

 the lance-headed serpent, 

 with which that island 

 abounds, but we have 

 not heard if the attempt 

 was successful or not. 

 Here, too, are the Eagles, 

 (Aquila) to describe the 

 different varieties of 

 which a volume might 

 be devoted. Foi-med by 

 Nature for braving the 

 severest cold, feeding: 



