THE SCAVENGERS 



ture's nest or nestlings than hearsay. They 

 keep to the southerly Sierras, and are bold 

 enough, it seems, to do killing on their own 

 account when no carrion is at hand. They 

 dog the shepherd from camp to camp, the 

 hunter home from the hill, and will even 

 carry away offal from under his hand. 



The vulture merits respect for his big- 

 ness and for his bandit airs, but he is a 

 sombre bird, with none of the buzzard's 

 frank satisfaction in his offensiveness. 



The least objectionable of the inland 

 scavengers is the raven, frequenter of the 

 desert ranges, the same called locally " car- 

 rion crow." He is handsomer and has such 

 an air. He is nice in his habits and is 

 said to have likable traits. A tame one in 

 a Shoshone camp was the butt of much 

 sport and enjoyed it. He could all but 

 talk and was another with the children, 

 53 



