120 HABITS OF BIRDS. 
(C. Urubu), says Ulloa, “ found in hot climates, is an 
excellent provision of nature; as otherwise the 
putrefaction caused by the constant and excessive 
heat would render the air insupportable to human 
life. These birds are familiar in Carthagena; the 
tops of the houses are covered with them: it is 
they who cleanse the city of all its animal impuri- 
ties. There are few animals killed whereof they 
do not obtain the offals; and when this food is 
wanting, they have recourse to other garbage.”” The 
following account of the same bird is in Wilson’s 
best manner. 
‘* A horse had dropped down in the street in con- 
vulsions, and, dying, it was dragged out to Hamp- 
stead and skinned. The ground fora hundred 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 run. 
I counted at one time two hundred and thirty-seven, 
but I believe there were more, besides several in 
the air over my head, and at adistance. I ventured 
cautiously within thirty yards of the carcass, where 
three or four dogs and twenty or thirty vultures 
were busily tearing and devouring. Seeing them 
take no notice, I ventured nearer, till I was within 
ten yards, and sat down on the bank. Still they 
paid little attention tome. The dogs, being some- 
times accidentally flapped with the wings of the vul- 
tures, would growl and snap at them, which would 
occasion them to spring up for a moment, but they 
immediately gathered in again. I remarked the 
vultures frequently attack each other, fighting with 
their claws or heels, striking like a cock, with open 
wings, and fixing their claws in each other’s head. 
The females, and, I believe, the males likewise, made 
a hissing sound, with open mouth, exactly resem- 
bling that produced by thrusting a redhot poker 
into water; and frequently a snuffling, like a dog 
clearing his nostrils, as 1 suppose they were theirs. 
