THE EGYPTIAN VULTURE 23 



to the water's edge ; then we saw it had been 

 having a real gorge ; it was hideously rotund, and 

 had apparently been living inside "the joint" until, 

 sick with repletion, unable to fly, its very feathers 

 clogged with gore, it made its way down to refreshen 

 and clean itself, which when done, to our surprise 

 it turned out to be just a common Egyptian 

 Vulture. 



Why the Vultures are featherless on neck and 

 head is told in an old story in Curzon's Monasteries 

 of the Levant. King Solomon, according to this 

 account, was journeying in the heat of the day. 

 "The fiery beams were beginning to scorch his 

 neck and shoulders when he saw a flock of vultures 

 flying past. ' O Vultures ! ' cried King Solomon, 

 * come and fly between me and the sun, and 

 make a shadow with your wings to protect me, 

 for its rays are scorching my neck and face.' But 

 the Vultures would not, so the King lifted up his 

 voice and cursed them, and told them that as 

 they would not obey, ' The feathers of your neck 

 shall fall off, and the heat of the sun, and the 

 cold of the winter, and the keenness of the wind, 

 and the beating of the rain, shall fall upon your 

 rebellious necks, which shall not be protected like 

 other birds. And whereas you have hitherto fared 



