324 CONDOR. 



selves that the task of pointing out all these errors, from which no 

 writer without exception appears free, does not belong to us. 



Vile, gluttonous, and pre-eminently unclean, the Vultwidce are the 

 only birds of prey that keep together in flocks all the year round : as 

 cowardly as they are indiscriminately voracious, they are too pusillani- 

 mous, notwithstanding their numbers, to attack living prey, and content 

 themselves with the abundant supply of food which is offered by the 

 putrid carcasses of dead animals. In fact, they appear to give the 

 preference to these, with all their disgusting concomitants, and only 

 resort to freshly slaughtered animals when impelled by extreme hunger. 

 Their want of courage is denoted by their crouching attitude and the 

 humility of their demeanor. Creatures with such dispositions did not 

 require from nature strength or powerful weapons ; nothing was needed 

 but perfection of smelling, that they might from a distance discover 

 their appropriate food, and this faculty they possess in an eminent 

 degree. Their nostrils have two large external apertures, and an 

 extensive olfactory membrane within. 



Though regarded with disgust for their filthy habits, these well known 

 birds are extremely serviceable in hot climates, by devouring all sorts of 

 filth and impurities, and thus preserving the atmosphere from the con- 

 tamination of noxious eflSuvia. On this account their cowardice is pro- 

 tected by man, who in civilized as well as savage life always looks to 

 his own advantage, and does not disdain to make use of those for whom 

 he cannot help feeling contempt. Besides their usefulness during life, 

 the Vultures have an additional security in their utter uselessness when 

 dead. In consequence of their food their body exhales a disgusting 

 effluvium, and their flesh is so rank, stringy, and unsavory, that nothing 

 short of absolute famine can bring any one to taste of it. No skill nor 

 precautions in cooking can overcome its natural bad odor, which pre- 

 vails over the most powerful spices. But though not eatable themselves, 

 they excel in picking clean to the very bones the carrion they feed 

 upon, leaving them as bare as if they had been carefully scraped. With 

 this food they gorge themselves to such a degree as to be incapable of 

 flight, and hardly able to move for some time, and then allow of a very 

 close approach. In fact their indolence, filthiness, and voracity, are 

 almost incredible. 



They are birds of slow flight at all times, and raise themselves from 

 the ground with difiiculty, though when surprised and closely pursued 

 after overfeeding, when they are almost helpless, they can lighten them- 

 selves by vomiting up their superfluous meal, sometimes to the great an- 

 noyance of the pursuer, and then at once take flight. Their sight is 

 exceedingly keen, and is only inferior in power to their sense of smell- 

 ing, which enables them to discover their peculiar food at great and 

 incred'ble distances. They are dull and heavy, fond. of assembling in 



