VULTURES. 609 
birds with quadrupeds, the Vulture seems to combine the strength 
and the cruelty of the tiger with the cowardice and gluttony of the 
jackal.” 
This fanciful naturalist has, however, been unjust to the Vulture. 
In depicting it in such very dark colours, his desire seems to be 
to contrast it with the Eagle, which he had represented as the highest 
type of courage and nobility ; and he has evidently yielded to the 
temptation to make the contrast between the two birds as striking 
as possible. The idea of this antithesis must, in fact, have led 
Bufton’s mind astray, as he was often more fond of figure than fact. 
The Vulture seeks after carrion because it prefers it ; and its not at- 
tacking living animals, like the rest of the family, is caused by the 
fact that it is neither armed nor organised for strife. It obeys the 
irresistible and ordained instincts of Nature, and to its doing so we 
have no right to attribute false motives. In the present day it is 
really time to have done with all these time-worn rhetorical fancies 
which are in continual and complete variance with the results of 
science and observation. 
The Vulture genus comprises several species, all of which belong 
to the Old World. 
The Fulvous Vulture (Gyfs fu/vus, Fig. 284), the size of which is 
about equal to that of the Goose, is a native more especially of the 
south and south-east of Europe. It is common in the Pyrenees, 
Alps, Sardinia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Spain; it is rarely seen 
in France. It makes its nest in the crevice ef some inaccessible 
rock. When pressed by hunger it shows no fear in attacking 
living animals; it is thus an object of dread among the shepherds 
along the sea-coast of the Mediterranean. It is easily tamed 
when caught young. Of this fact M. Nordmann gives us an 
instance :— 
“A lady residing at Taganrog,” says he, “was in possession of one 
of these vultures, which was in the habit every morning of leaving 
its home and resorting to the fresh-meat market, where the bird was 
well known and usually fed. If it so happened that it was refused 
its daily pittance, it was always well able to get hold of it by some 
cunning or other; and then, after the larceny was committed, the 
bird would take itself off to the roof of some neighbouring house, 
‘so as to consume its plunder in peace, and safe from any attack. 
This bird would often cross the Sea of Azoff, and visit the city 
of the same name, situated opposite Taganrog ; and, after having 
spent the day there, would come back at night to the house of its 
mistress.” 
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