SCAVENGEES OF THE VELD 



There is another fairly well-known species, the Black 

 Vulture, called by the Boers the Koning Aasvogel (King 

 Vulture), the Otogyps auricularis of science, which is 

 considerably scarcer than the ordinary Aasvogel, and is 

 seldom seen in large numbers, generally going about in 

 pairs or in small parties of from five to seven individuals. 

 Mr. L. E. Taylor mentions one exception, in which case 

 he found twenty of them together at Irene, Transvaal. 



This bird is held in apparently high respect by the 

 ordinary Griffon Vulture, a fact well illustrated on one 

 notable occasion in the Maroka district of the old Orange 

 Free State in 1894, when about twenty vultures w r ere 

 feeding on a dead dog. Suddenly a new arrival appeared 

 on the scene, and the others scattered, leaving the new- 

 comer, a solitary Black Vulture, to its lonely repast, 

 It was a strange scene ; there the bird stood wrenching 

 off and swallowing lumps of flesh, while round him in 

 a ring, but at a respectful distance, sat the others. As 

 soon as " His Majesty " retired satisfied, the other birds 

 rushed at the carcass, and the usual fighting, flapping o 

 wings, screaming and tearing went on again. We have 

 repeatedly seen how the Common Vulture stands in awe 

 of the Black, but the above-cited case was the most 

 pronounced and remarkable of all. 



There is a popular belief prevalent amongst the country- 

 folk that Vultures will not eat an animal killed by light- 

 ning, but this is a fallacy. It may have occurred, but we 

 know of innumerable instances where sheep, goats and 

 cattle so killed have been devoured, and Mr. L. E. Taylor 

 records a case where a small flock of sheep killed by 

 lightning were subsequently eaten by both Common and 

 Black Vultures. 



The Black Vulture nests in trees, building a large 

 structure, about 4 feet in diameter, of sticks, and laying a 



