BIRDS OF PREY. 



troops around the body of any dead animal, on which they glut 

 themselves until they are incapable of moving : they will, how- 

 ever, sometimes attack living prey. Their flight is slow ; but they 

 are capable of mounting to a considerable height, by means of a 

 series of circular evolutions, which serve them not only in ascend- 

 ing, but in descending. Their nest is slightly formed of sticks, 

 on the most inaccessible parts of rocks, and the parents nourish 

 their young by disgorging into their throats a portion of their 

 own half-digested food. 



The true vultures are at once distinguishable by the peculiarity 

 of their aspect. A part of their head, of greater or less extent, 

 and sometimes the neck also, is denuded of feathers ; thus en- 

 suring the comparative cleanliness of the bird, and preserving it 

 from the filth that would accumulate were the head and neck 

 clothed as in other birds. The strength of their talons is not 

 proportionate to their size ; so that they make more use of their 

 beak than of their claws in procuring food. Their wings are so 

 long that, when upon the ground, they are obliged to hold them 

 in a half-extended position. They are all cowardly in their habits, 

 and generally feed upon carrion, rarely upon living prey. When 

 satiated with food, their distended crop projects, a foetid fluid runs 

 from their nostrils, and they become, from very repletion, reduced 

 to a state of helpless inactivity. Among filth and putridity they 

 seem to be in their proper element, and they themselves have a 

 rank and disagreeable odour. When they first rise from the 

 ground, their flight is heavy and embarrassed ; but after a few 

 circuits it becomes rapid and well sustained ; so that when fairly 

 on the wing they can rise to a considerable elevation. There is 

 something ignoble in the gait of the whole race, and the vileness 

 of their disposition is indicated by their attitude. Their wings 

 hang down, and their tail drags on the ground — their whole ap- 

 pearance is repulsive. Nevertheless, in hot climates their presence 

 is of essential service in removing filth which would otherwise 

 pollute the atmosphere. Hence, in some countries, laws are 

 enacted for their protection, and they may be seen upon the 

 roofs of houses, or even frequenting the streets, where their pre- 

 sence is not only tolerated, but encouraged. Indeed, besides their 

 usefulness when living, they have an additional security in their 

 utter worthlessness when dead. 



Vultures are gregarious, and often associate in flocks of from 

 twenty to thirty, or more, seeking in concert the carrion upon 

 which they feed. When thus employed, they wheel in large 



