ILLUSTRATIONS

OF

BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY.

ORDER I.

RAPTORES, VIGORS.

In the natural arrangement, or that founded upon the affinities connecting the various tribes of the feathered race, the Raptorial Order constitutes the first of the five great divisions into which the Class Aves, like those of the other departments of the animal kingdom, may be divided: a number, it may be observed, to which not only the primary, but also all the minor subdivisions, of such departments as have hitherto undergone investigation, appear to be limited. Of these divisions, it is one of the two which are considered typical or representative (the Order Incessores being the other), and is composed of the various groups generally known as Birds of Prey; answering to the Accipitres of LINNEUS, and analogous to the Carnivorous Animals of the Class Mammalia. The compact yet powerful body, the predatory habits, the decided partiality for animal food, the strong and hooked bill, the muscular limbs, the curved and often semi-retractile claws, and other distinguishing traits, separate the birds of

this Order from all the others; though, at the same time we must remark, that modifications of form and character are met with in the less typical members sufficient to support the necessary connection with the other orders of the Class. In this Division four Families only have yet been recognised, viz. the Vulturida, Falconida, Strigida, and Gypogeranida. Of these the three first mentioned embrace the extensive Lin

nean genera Vulture, Falco, and Strix; the fourth is represented by the African Serpent-Eater (Secretary Vulture of LATHAM). The fifth, necessary to complete the series of affinities within the circle of this Order, is still wanting.

FAMILY II.* VULTURIDE.

The Vulturidæ, which form one of the typical families of the order, are distinguished by having the head more or less divested of feathers, the bill strait at the base, and covered with a cere, either thinly covered with hair or naked, simple or carunculated; their limbs are muscular and generally short, the tarsi and feet naked, the latter armed with rather strong, but not very hooked talons. They principally subsist upon carrion and decomposing animal matter; but, as might be expected, the forms which approach nearest to the Falconida occasionally prey upon living subjects. They are mostly inhabitants of the warmer regions of the globe, where they act an important and salutary part in the economy of nature, by clearing the surface of noxious and putrid animal remains. Their wings are ample, and their flight, which is powerful, and can be long sustained, is generally described in wide circles. In this family, five distinct forms have been admitted; two of which, genus Vultur and Vultur and genus Sarcoram

* According to the system of Mr VIGORS (the one here adopted), the aberrant family of Gypogeranide stands first, as the typical families invariably occupy the middle station. But, in this work, we commence of course with the second family, as the first affords no British species.

phus, as possessing the peculiar features of the family in the highest degree, are justly considered its typical representatives; the other three are aberrant, viz. the genera Neophron, Cathartes, and Gypaëtos, in which a deviation of structure is perceptible, and which serve, from the affinities they exhibit, not only to complete the circle of their own family, but to connect it with those belonging to other orders of the class.

GENUS NEOPHRON (SAVIG.) NEOPHRON.

GENERIC CHARACTERS.

Bill elongated, slender, strait; the upper mandible covered with a cere for half its length, and with a distinct hooked dertrum or tip. The lower mandible curving downwards at the point, with no apparent gonys or angle. Nostrils longitudinal, lateral, directed forwards, and placed near to the culmen of the bill. Anterior part of the head and the face naked; the neck covered with acuminate feathers. Wings ample, the third quill-feather being the longest. Tail of fourteen feathers. Legs of mean strength and length; the tarsi reticulated. Feet with four toes; three before, and one behind. The front toes united at the base. Claws strong, slightly hooked, and blunt. Under surface of the toes scabrous.

It

This genus, which was first established by SAVIGNY, has since been adopted by Mr VIGORS, who makes it one of the five forms recognisable in the family of the Vulturida. belongs to the aberrant division, or that in which the groups indicate a modification of those peculiar characters that distinguish the typical divisions, represented (as I have before stated) by genus Vultur and genus Sarcoramphus. Its structure, according to the affinities displayed, seems intermediate between the genus Gypaëtos, of which the Vultur barbatus of authors is the type, (and which more immediately connects the Vulturida with the succeeding family of

the Falconidae), and the genus Cathartes, restricted by the ornithologists of the present day to certain species belonging to America, of which Cathartes Aura and Cathartes Uruba are the representatives. From this latter group the present genus differs, not only in geographical distribution, but in having the neck more fully clothed with feathers, and the bill and legs of still weaker conformation. It is restricted to the old world, and has for its type the Neophron Percnopterus of SAVIGNY (Vultur Perc. of LINNEUS). In habits these birds are, if possible, more filthy than any of the other members of this family, their food consisting almost wholly of the rankest carrion and most disgusting offal of every description. They are also of a more timid character, appearing very destitute of the boldness that characterizes the larger and more typical Vultures.

EGYPTIAN NEOPHRON.

NEOPHRON PERCNOPTERUS, Savig.

PLATE A.

Neophron Percnopterus, Savig. Ois. de l'Egypt, p. 16.-Vigors in Zool. Journ. 2. 380.-Jardine and Selby, Illust. of Orn. 1. pl. 33.

Vultur Percnopterus, Linn. Syst. 1. 123. 7.—Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 2. sp. 3.— Shaw's Zool. 5. 7. pl. 33.

Alpine Vulture, Lath. Syn. 1. 12; Id. Sup. 3.

Vultur Ægypticus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 2. var. B.

Sacre d'Egypt, Buff. Ois. 1. 167.

Egyptian Vulture, Lath. Syn. 1. p. 13.

Vultur leucocephalus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 1. sp. 4.

Vautour de Norvege, Buff. Ois 1. 164.

Ash-coloured Vulture, Lath. Syn. 1. p. 3.

Vultur Angolensis? Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 7. sp. 17.

Angola Vulture? Penn. Tour in Wales, 1. 307. pl. 16.-Lath. Syn. 1. 18?

Vultur fuscus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 248.-Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 5. sp. 10.

Vautour de Malte, Buff. Ois 1. 161.

Maltese Vulture, Lath. Syn. 1. 15.

Vultur ginginianus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 7. sp. 16.

Gingi Vulture, Lath. Syn. 1. 7.-Shaw's Zool. 7. 37.

Cathartes Percnopterus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 1. 8.-Steph. Shaw's Zool. 13.

7. sp. 1.

Le Percnoptere d'Egypt, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 307.

Vautour l'Origon, Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afric, 1. p. 14.

Rachamah, or Bird of Pharaoh, Bruce's Travels, App. 163.

tant.

Since the publication of the first volume of the "Illustra tions," a bird of this species has been killed upon the western coast of England, in an undoubted wild and natural state, thus entitling it to a place in the list of our fauna, as a rare Rare visivisitant. The specimen is now in the possession of the Rev. A. MATTHEW of Kilve, in Somersetshire, near which place it was shot in October 1825, and who kindly favoured me with the loan of the specimen, accompanied by the following particulars relating to its capture. When first discovered, it was feeding upon the carcass of a dead sheep, and had so gorged itself with the carrion, as to be unable or unwilling to fly to any great distance at a time, and was therefore арproached without much difficulty and shot. Another bird similar to it in appearance, was seen at the same time upon wing at no great distance; which remained in the neighbourhood a few days, but could never be approached within range; and which was supposed to be the mate of the one killed. The state and colour of the plumage of this individual, judging from the descriptions given of the species by TEMMINCK and other authors, indicate a young bird probably of the first, or, at the farthest, of the second year. The livery of the adult (Vultur gingianus of LATHAM) being of an uniform white, with the exception of the greater quills, which always remain black. The changes of plumage to which it is subject, and the different appearance it assumes under each, have given rise to the creation of several supposed distinct species, as is evident from the list of synonyms quoted; but I am convinced that most of them may be satisfactorily traced to the bird in question, excepting only the Angola Vulture of PENNANT (Vultur Angolensis of LATHAM,) which (from his description, and the figure given in his "Tour through Wales") is difficult to be reconciled with any state of Neophron Percnopterus. In Europe, the species is not uncommon in Spain, Malta, and Turkey, and it is sometimes also met with in Italy, and as far as Switzerland.