SCAVENGERS 133 



most thieves, the lammergeyer is a thorough cow- 

 ard, and will attack the living only when forced 

 to through lack of food. 



Pharaoh's chicken, the commonest scavenger of 

 the Himalayas, has many opprobrious names not 

 pleasant to mention. He feasts on all kinds of 

 filth and carrion, and his appearance is that of a 

 typical "hobo." Indeed he is the "hobo" of the 

 scavenger family. Not only is he a tramp, but he 

 is one of the shabbiest birds in the world. His 

 plumage is a dirty white, except the edges of his 

 wing feathers, which are trimmed in faded brownish- 

 black. His naked face, bill, and legs are of a dark 

 yellowish-brown colour; while the coat of feathers 

 on his back is ruffled and unkempt like that of a 

 shabby street urchin. With all these poor clothes 

 he lazily staggers when walking, like a newly awak- 

 ened hobo from a hay pile! His great redeeming 

 qualities are the faithful discharge of his duties as 

 a scavenger, and his ability to soar high above the 

 mountains like a white air-ship trimmed in black! 



The gnat-snappers of the torrid zones, many of 

 which destroy millions of gnats and other insects, 

 are nocturnal in their habits. It is a common sight 

 in Holland to see droves of swans devouring the 

 seeds of obnoxious weeds, while in Africa cranes 

 are the surest death to the toads of the marshes, 



