HAWKS AND FALCONS. 



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, A fries, and other similar warm 

 climates. Some species 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 some- 

 times found to mea- 

 sure nearly twelve 

 feet from tip to tip 

 of the wings, when 

 spread out. 



We next come to 

 the Hawk tribe, 

 which includes a 

 great variety of 

 species of differ- 

 ent sizes, from the 

 largest, not much 



less than an Eagle, to the smallest, not much larger than a 



Blackbird. They differ, too, very greatly in disposition ; some 



being all fire, spirit, and courage, while others are dull and 



* The Egyptian Vulture, probably. 



The Condor. 



