126 THE VULTURE. 



In travelling over the immensely wide deserts v< 

 Africa, where there is not a blade of grass to tempt a 

 living bird or animal, and no inducement therefore for 

 birds of prey to scour those vast wildernesses in search 

 of game, should a camel or other beast of burden drop 

 under its load in the train of a caravan, in less than half 

 an hour there will be seen, high in the air, a number of 

 the smallest specks, moving slowly round in circles, and 

 gradually growing larger and larger as they descend in 

 spiral windings towards the earth ; these are the Vul- 

 tures, but whence they come, or by what sign or call 

 they are collected at a height beyond the reach of the 

 human eye, is still a mystery; though we are much in- 

 clined to suspect that they derive their information from 

 an indiscriminate use of both these senses, possessed 

 of an acuteness far beyond our experience or compre- 

 hension. 



Instances without number might be mentioned, in 

 which the gift of sight and smelling seem to rival each 

 other. We will add the following respecting the power 

 of each, related by an intelligent observer of nature in 

 Jamaica : two relating to the sense of smelling, the two 

 others to that of sight, and a third including both, with 

 the addition of hearing. A poor German emigrant, who 

 lived alone in a detached cottage, rose from his bed, 

 after a two days' confinement by fever, to purchase in 

 the market some fresh meat for a little soup, but before 

 he could do more than prepare the several ingredients 

 of herbs and roots, and put his meat in order for the 

 preparation of his pottage, the paroxysm of fever re- 

 turned, and he laid himself on his bed exhausted. Two 

 days passed in this state of helplessness, by which time 

 the mess of meat and potherbs had putrefied. The 

 stench becoming very perceptible in the neighbourhood, 

 Vulture after Vulture, as they sailed past, was observed 

 always to descend to the cottage of the German, and to 

 sweep round, as if they were aware of some putrid car- 

 case, but could not find out where it was. This at 



