VULTURES. 609 



birds with quadrupeds, the Vulture seems to combine the strength 

 and the cruelty of the tiger with the cowardice and gluttony of the 

 jackal." 



This fanciful naturalist has, however, been unjust to the Vulture. 

 In depicting it in such very dark colours his desire seems to be 

 to contrast it with the Eagle, which he had represented as the highest 

 type of courage and nobility ; and he has evidently yielded to the 

 temptation to make the contrast between the two birds as striking 

 as possible. The idea of this antithesis must, in fact, have led 

 Buffon's mind astray, as he was often more fond of figure than fact. 

 The Vulture seeks after carrion because it prefers it ; and its not 

 attacking living animals, like the rest of the family, is due to the 

 fact that it is neither armed nor organised for strife. It obeys the 

 irresistible and ordained instincts of Nature, and for its doing so we 

 have no right to attribute false motives. In the present day it is 

 really time to have done with all these time-worn rhetorical fancies, 

 which are in continual and complete variance with the results of 

 science and observation. 



The Vulture genus comprises several species, all of which belong 

 to the Old World. 



The Fulvous Vulture (Gypsfulvus^ Fig. 284), the size of which is 

 about equal to that of the Goose, is a native more especially of the 

 south and south-east of Europe. It is common in the Pyrenees, 

 Alps, Sardinia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Spain ; it is rarely seen 

 in France. It makes its nest in the crevice of some inaccessible 

 rock. When pressed by hunger it shows no fear in attacking 

 living animals ; it is thus an object of dread among the shepherds 

 along the sea-coast of the Mediterranean. It is easily tamed 

 when caught young. Of this fact M. Nordmann gives us an 

 instance: 



" A lady residing at Taganrog," says he, "was in possession of one 

 of these vultures, which was in the habit every morning of leaving 

 its home and resorting to the fresh-meat market, where the bird was 

 well known and usually fed. If it so happened that it was refused 

 its daily pittance, it was always well able to get hold of it by some 

 cunning or other; and then, after the larceny was committed, the 

 bird would take itself oft" to the roof of some neighbouring house, 

 so as to consume its plunder in peace, and safe from any attack. 

 This bird would often cross the sea of Azoff, and visit the city 

 of the same name, situated opposite Taganrog, and after having 

 spent the day there, would come back at night to the house of its 

 mistress." 

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