BIRDS OF PREY. 



159 



the fire, or curiously peers through the window to see if the spring- 

 time will not soon return. 



If tliere be any choice among the raptores, I should certainly 



prefer — dare I say 

 the eagle. Among 

 have seen nothing 

 posing, as our five 

 (in the Jardin des 

 gether like so many 

 domed with superb 

 delicate white down, 

 mantles of gray, 

 exiles, who seem to 

 selves the vicissi- 

 the political events 

 them from their 

 What real difier- 

 the eagle and the 

 passionately loves 

 living flesh, very 



it? — the vulture to 

 the bird -world I 

 so grand, so im- 

 Algerian vultures 

 Plantes), posted to- 

 Turkish pachas, a- 

 cravats of the most 

 and draped in noble 

 A solemn divan of 

 discuss among them- 

 tudes of things and 

 which have di'iven 

 native country, 

 ence exists between 

 vulture? The eagle 

 blood, and prefers 

 rarely eating the 



dead. The vulture seldom kills, and directly benefits life by restoring 

 to its service and to the grand cun-ent of vital circulation the dis- 

 organized objects which would associate with others to their dis- 

 organization. The eagle lives upon murder only, and may justly be 

 entitled the minister of Death. On the contrary, the vulture is the 

 servant of Life. 



Owing to his strength and beauty, the eagle has been adopted as 

 an emblem by more than one warrior race which lived, like himself, 

 by rapine. The Persians and the Romans chose him. We now as- 

 sociate him with the lofty ideas which these great empires originate. 

 Grave people — even an Aristotle — have accredited the absurd fable 

 that he daringly eyed the sun, and put his offspring to the test, by 

 making them also gaze upon it. Once started on this glorious road, 

 the philosophers halted no more. Buftbn went the furthest. He 



