THE VULTURE. 131 



wild and natural state, no one who has once been near 

 them, would willingly approach too closely a second 

 time, as their smell, increased by a greasy sort of per- 

 spiration, drawn out by the heat of the sun, is dreadfully 

 offensive; and their appearance very different from the 

 bold fine Eagle, perched on his pinnacle of a rock. 



They sit in a sort of moping, slouching manner, with 

 their heads buried within their shoulder-bones, as if 

 torpid, or roosting, many of them together, on tall dead 

 pines, or cypress trees, where in the morning they often 

 continue for hours, with their wings, measuring from 

 eight to ten feet from tip to tip, spread open, as some 

 believe, that the air may blow upon and purify their 

 filthy bodies, though more probably, that it may gradu- 

 ally dry up a portion of that greasy moisture, which 

 might, if very abundant, impede their flight, which is 

 at times prodigious. 



There is one exception to this inactive character of 

 Vultures, in a bird which is now classed with them, 

 though more from certain peculiarities in his plumage 

 and beak, than those closer points of resemblance, which 

 would fairly entitle him to be placed in such bad com- 

 pany. This bird is called the Snake-eater, (Vultur ser- 

 pentarius), a native of Africa, and of some parts of India; 

 and it is here noticed, on account of its singular manner 

 of destroying serpents on which it feeds. An eye-wit- 

 ness thus describes it. He was one day riding, when he 

 observed a Snake-eater, while on the wing, make two or 

 three circles at a little distance from the spot on which 

 he then was, and suddenly descend to the ground. On 

 observing the bird, he found it engaged in examining 

 and watching some object, near the spot where it stood, 

 which it continued to do for some minutes. After that, 

 it moved with considerable apparent caution, to a little 

 distance from the spot where it had alighted, and then 

 extended one of its wings, which it kept in continual 

 motion. Soon after this, the observer saw a large snake 

 raise its head to a considerable distance from theground, 



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