282 Three Vncommon Pets. 



to take the dainty morsel Iroiu my head. We allowed her to 

 run loose occaisionally, but she never wandered away. In 

 my opinion the Gyr-Falcon is the finest, noblest and most 

 docile of all the Falcon tribe. 



The Urubu or Black Vulture (Cafhariates abnlns) is 

 a South American species, and cannot, by any stretch of the 

 imagination be called handsome. But, all the same, he is a 

 very fine fellow. He is exceedingly tame, which makes him 

 a great favourite. His bare neck and sombre black plumage 

 are not calculated to win admirers, but he is very sociable, 

 dwelling amicably with my Buzzards and Caracara. He feeds 

 on raw flesh, rats or mice, and is especially partial to dead 

 lambs. This is not such an expensive diet as you would 

 imagine, seeing t hat in the early lambing season, many o£ 

 the animals die, and 1 can buy them for a penny each! The 

 beak and talons of the Black Vulture are nothing like as 

 powerful as those of a true Falcon, and apparently would not 

 sulflce to do material damage to a live animal of much size. 

 After meals he spreads his wings and remains for a long 

 time on the stumps of a tree in that fashion, resembling an 

 old black coat hanging up to dry. He always runs up to greet 

 anyone he knows, in a most friendly and engaging manner. 

 In Peru and Jamaica the Uruba is protected under .severe 

 penalties, wiiich can be readily understood, when it is ex- 

 plained that these birds perform the whole duty of scavengers 

 in the streets. 



The Audulx):i'8 Cara.ara {Polyborus chctiway) is always 

 sure of admiration, owing to his attracti'V^ colouring. 

 I wondered u-hy he was named " Caracara," and conclude it 

 comes from his own peculiar cry. It is both comical and in- 

 teresting to watch him when he "calls." The moment I enter 

 his aviary with food at meal time, he throws his head right 

 back, and, with head and neck bent on his Ixick, he gives 

 a kind of prolonged rattling "caracara." He is as tame as 

 he is handsome, which is saying a good deal. He comes from 

 Central America, and resembles a Vulture in some of his 

 habits. Nothing in the way of raw meat comes amiss to him, 

 but he prefers dead birds if allowed a choice. He keeps 

 himself in excellent condition, bathing and preening, and 

 sunning himself. The claws of a Caracara are comparatively 



