308 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



Vulture of Europe, Turkey, Persia and Africa, the Egyptian 

 Vulture of the Nile country, and the Condor, or American 

 Vulture, are the best known varieties. 



The Condor. The American Condor is the largest of the 

 birds of prey, and is said to partake of the ferocity of the 

 Eagle and the filthiness of the Vulture. " Two of these birds, 

 acting in concert," says an American writer, "will frequently 

 attack a puma, a llama, a calf, or even a full-grown cow. 

 They will pursue the poor animal with unwearied pertinacity, 

 lacerating it incessantly with their beaks and talons, until it 

 falls exhausted with fatigue and loss of blood. Then, having 

 first seized upon its tongue, they proceed to tear out its eyes, 

 and commence their feast with these favourite morsels. The 

 intestines form the second course of their banquet, which is 

 usually continued until the birds have gorged themselves so 

 fully as to render themselves incapable of using their wings 

 in flight." This bird is said to measure from three and a 

 half to four feet from head to tail. 



The King of This bird which is the handsomest of its tribe 

 the Vultures. j s called the King of the vultures, because of the 

 royal honours it receives from common vultures. Mr. Byam 

 says in his "Central America," "One day, having lost a mule 

 by death, he was dragged up to a small hill, not far off, 

 where I knew, in an hour or two, he would be safely buried 

 in vulture-sepulture. I was standing on a hillock, about a 

 hundred yards off, with a gun in my hand, watching the 

 surprising distance that a vulture descries his prey from, and 

 the gathering of so many from all parts, up and down wind, 

 where none had been seen before, and that in a very short 

 space of time. Hearing a loud, whirring noise over my head, 

 I looked up, and saw a fine large bird, with outstretched 

 and seemingly motionless wings, sailing towards the carcase 

 that had already been partially demolished. I would not fire 

 at the bird ; for I had a presentiment that it was his majesty 

 of the vultures; but beckoned to an Indian to come up the 



