"Lions and tigers of the air!" said Norah. "Whatever do you mean, boys?""We mean that teacher has been giving us another lesson on birds, and he calls some of the birds the lions andtigers of the air," said Fred. "I think it is a very good name for them too.
"He commenced the lesson by showing us a picture of a bird"s head. The first thing that struck us about this head was the great, hooked, and pointed beak. It looked very strong, and seemed just suited to the piercing eyes and the fierce, cruel- looking face of the bird.
"Teacher says this bird is as fierce and cruel as it looks. It lives on the flesh of other animals, and its strong, hooked, pointed beak is just fit for the work of tearing them to pieces.
"You may be sure I thought at once of the fierce flesh-eating beasts, and their sharp, cruel teeth; and it was just then that teacher told us we might call all birds of this kind the lions and tigers of the air, or birds of prey. He says they hunt their prey in the air just as the beasts of prey hunt their victims on the earth.
