THE BL.\CIC VULTURE. 



The black, or cinereous ^-^llturo is nearly the size of the grifibu vulture, and some- 

 times larger. It has a collar of long, narrow, and bristHng feathers ; the naked skin of 

 the head and neck is blue, and garnished with down ; the beak blackish ; and the long 

 feathers of the leg sometimes descending sufficiently to cover the tarsus as far as the 

 toes. In the first year, the plumage is varied with brown and dirty grey ; and it is 

 only in the fourth year that the dowTi of the head and plumage is black. 



According to Descourtilz, the black vidture, like the turkey buzzard, is resjjected at 

 Charleston for the actual services which it renders, in removing, from the city and its 

 vicinity, all dead animals and other refuse, on which these birds exclusively feed. If even 

 u chicken dies, itis not long before its bones are actually picked clean. The vidtures are 

 occupied the whole day in making their rounds to discover carrion and offid, and coming- 

 down in legions, they mutually contend for the prey, which instantly disappears. Thej^ 

 are so familiar, that they may be easily knocked down with a stick. " I had a great 

 desire to obtain a specimen in this way," he adds ; " but I was not disposed to pay five 

 louis-d'or of penalty." 



Wilson, -^-ith his usual graphic power, thus pictures an occurrence near Charleston : — • 

 " A horse had dropped down in the street in convvdsions and dying ; it was di-agged out 

 to Hampstead and skinned. The ground, for a himdred yards around it , was black with 

 carrion crows ;-many sat on the tops of sheds, fences, and houses, within sight ; sixty or 

 eighty on the opposite side of a small inn. I counted, at one time, two hundi-ed and 

 thirty-seven, but I believe there were more, besides several in the air over my head and 

 at a distance. 



" I ventui-ed cautiously within thirty yards of the carcase, where thi'ee or four dogs 

 and twenty or thirty vidtui'es were busily tearing and devoiu'ing. Seeing them take no 

 notice, I ventured nearer, till I was within ten yards, and sat down on the bank. iStdl 

 they paid little attention to me. The dogs being sometimes accidentally flapped with 

 the -ftings of the vultures, would growl and snap at them, which would occasion them 

 to spring up for a moment, but they immediately gathered in again. I remarked that 

 the vultui-es frequently attack each other, fighting with their claws or heels, striking, 

 like a cock, with open wmgs, and fixing theii- claws in each other's head. The females, 

 and, I beHe^e, the males likewise, made a hissing sound, with open mouth, exactly 

 resembUng that produced by thrusting a red-hot poker into water ; and frequently a 

 snuffling, like a dog clearing his nostrils, as I suijpose they were theirs. 



" On obser\Tng that they did not heed me, I stole so close that my feet were within 

 one yard of the horse's legs, and again sat down. They all slid aloof a few feet, but 

 seeing me quiet, soon returned as before. As they were often disturbed by the dogs, I 

 ordered the latter home ; my voice gave no alarm to the vultures. As soon as the dogs 

 departed, the vultui'es crowded in such numbers, that I counted at one time thii'ty-seven 

 on and around the carcase, with several within ; so that scarcely an inch of it was 

 visible. 



" Sometimes one would come oiit with a large piece of the entrails, which, in a 

 moment, was siu'roimded by several others, who tore it in fragments, and it soon 

 disappeared. They kept up the hissing occasionally. Some of them, having their whole 

 legs and head covered with blood, presented a most savage aspect. Still, as the dogs 

 advanced, I would order them away, which seemed to gratify the ^^dture8 ; and one 

 woidd pursue another to ^\'ithin a foot or two of the spot where I was sitting. Some- 

 times I observed them stretching their necks along the ground, us if to press the food 

 downwards." 



* Vultur Iota. Buoiiffpai-te. 



