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vultui'es are mostly alone on their can-ion, whereas the smaller 

 ones seek their food at the slaughter-house. I was still wait- 

 ing without ohserving one, in spite of my carefully searching 

 for them in the aii", when all of a sudden, quite close to me, a 

 single one darted down like an arrow in an oblique dii-ection. 

 This was enough for me to betake myself to my ambush, for 

 before a few seconds had elapsed, as if upon a given signal, the 

 ail' round about me was filled with them, and from every region 

 of the sky those colossal birds darted down upon theii- prey. 

 Such a scene has something truly grand about it, and involun- 

 tarily one uses every effort not to interrupt the stillness which 

 is only disturbed by the noise of theii" mighty wings. In their 

 descent all vultures, including pileatus, but excepting percnop- 

 teruSj have this in common, namely, the habit of di-a-ndng in 

 their wings very closely, while with their necks half stretched 

 they extend their talons as far as possible, as if intending to 

 seize eagerly theii* prey ; they do not however rush right upon 

 it, but always settle down at the side of it. Being not more 

 than ten paces distant from them, I now witnessed the hardest 

 fights, the most fearful bill-thrusts which were given on all 

 sides, without making any distinction of near relationship. 

 However, these birds, which otherwise live peaceably together, 

 became more calm, and seated themselves iu a close circle 

 round the camon, only that those which were driven back 

 made several more unmerciful attempts with their- bUls and 

 wings ; frequently they rushed suddenly with their heads 

 hanging down upon the circle, trying thus to separate two 

 birds that were sitting close together, but pileatus and percnop- 

 terus remained at a respectful distance. What is most astonish- 

 ing in their act of eating is the strength rather than the adroit- 

 ness with which they use their bUls, they each tear oflf from 

 the hardest flesh pieces easy to swallow, with incredible 

 rapidity, without making the least use of their talons, and 

 thus devour a whole dog, with the exception of the larger 

 bones, in less than ten minutes. Just at a moment when 



