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ALT.EN’S NATURALISr’S LIBRARY, 
THE TRUE RAPTORIAL BIRDS. SUB-ORDER 
FALCONES. 
The name Falcones has been adopted for the bulk of the 
Birds of Prey, because the Falcons may be considered the 
most typical of all the Hawks, but, as a matter of fact, the 
present Sub-order includes every Accipitrine Bird except the 
Ospreys and the Owls. From both of these groups of birds 
the Falcones differ in not having a reversible outer toe, and 
from the Owls they are further distinguished by the absence 
of the facial disk and the presence of a cere. 
Putting aside the American Turkey Vultures and the Con- 
dors, which form a separate Sub-order, and are quite distinct 
from’ the ordinary Birds of Prey, we may divide the remaining 
species into two main families, Viilturidce and Falconidce. 
THE VULTURES. FAMILY VULTURID.E. 
The principle character by which a Vulture is known is hy 
its bare head, which is either quite naked or only scantily 
clothed with down. There is generally a ruff of feathers or 
down round the neck, but true feathers are never developed 
on the crown of the head. The feet are strong, but are not 
formed for grasping, as in the rest of the Plawks, but rather 
for holding their prey firmly, while they tear it to pieces with 
their powerful bills. They feed almost entirely on carrion, 
and never capture anything in full flight. They are entirely 
peculiar to the Old World. 
the griffon vultures, genus gyps. 
Gyps, Savigny, Descr. de I’Egypte, p. 232 (1809). 
Type, G. fulvus (Gm.). 
All the species of Griffon Vulture have down on the crown, 
and a ruff round the neck. They are all birds of large size, 
and have an immense bill, with a perpendicular oval nostril. 
The toes are very long, and the middle one even exceeds the 
tarsus in length. Their general colour is brown, sometimes 
rather tawny, in some species nearly white or creamy-white, 
