132 THE VULTURE. 



which seemed to be what the bird was expecting, and 

 waiting for; at the moment the snake reared its head, he 

 instantly struck a sharp blow with the end of his wing, 

 by which the snake was knocked flat on the ground. 

 The bird, however, did not appear confident of having 

 slain his enemy, or gained the victory, but kept his eye 

 fixed on the reptile for a short time, when the snake 

 reviving again, lifted up its head, and the bird as before 

 repeated his blow; after this second blow he appeared 

 to gain more confidence; for, almost the moment it was 

 inflicted, he marched boldly up, and struck at the snake 

 with his feet; after which, finding it disabled, though not 

 quite dead, he rose almost perpendicularly to a very 

 great height, when he let it drop, and as it fell with 

 great violence to the ground, he seemed satisfied that 

 there was no more danger to be feared, and accordingly 

 he followed it to the . earth, and commenced his hardly- 

 earned meal. 



Vultures are chiefly natives of the hotter regions of 

 the globe, such as South America, Africa, and other 

 similar warm climates. Some sorts are, however, not 

 uncommon in the southern parts of Europe; and even in 

 England, a few have been seen and killed. In June, 

 1826, near Bridgewater, in Somersetshire, a strange 

 unknown bird was observed walking on a road, which, on 

 being pursued, flew about a mile towards the sea, and 

 alighted on the beach, where it was shot. It had just, 

 been gorging itself with a putrid lamb, which was most 

 likely the cause of its allowing itself to be approached 

 within gunshot. On opening it for the purpose of 

 stuffing, the smell was excessively offensive. Another 

 bird, apparently of the same species, was seen near the 

 place where this was killed, but evaded pursuit. It 

 was of the smallest kind, measuring only, from the tip of 

 the beak to the end of the tail, two feet three inches; 

 and from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other, 

 five feet, six inches and a half; whereas the great 

 Condor of South America is sometimes found to mea- 



