ADVENTURES WITH HYENAS. 143 



of exam.uing these birds, it need not be remarked how perfectly 

 the formation of a vulture is adapted to that share in the daily 

 business of the globe which has been allotted to it that of clear- 

 ing away putrid orputrescent animal matter, which might otherwise 

 taint the air and produce infectious disease." The vulture is 

 enabled to perform these duties, in countries of great extent and 

 thinly-scattered population, principally from his extraordinary 

 powers of sight. The wonderful extent of vision of this bird's eye 

 is shown in the following instance : "In the year 1778, Mr. Baber, 

 and several other gentlemen, were on a hunting party, in the island 

 of Cossimbuzar, in Bengal, about fifteen miles north of the city of 

 Murshedabad. They killed a wild hog of uncommon size, and left 

 it on the ground near the tent. An hour after, walking near the 

 spot where it lay, the sky perfectly clear, a dark spot in the air 

 ai a great distance attracted their attention. It appeared to 

 increase in size, and move directly towards them ; as it advanced, 

 it proved to be a vulture flying in a direct line to the dead hog 

 In an hour, seventy others came in all directions, which induced 

 Mr. Baber to remark, this cannot be smell."* The faculty of 

 smell of the hyaena conducts him as certainly to his food as the 

 sight of the vulture. Major Denham tells us in his Journal, 

 " the hyaenas came so close to the tent last night, that a camel, 

 which lay about a hundred yards from the enclosure, was found 

 nearly half-eaten. A lion first made a meal on the poor animal, 

 when the hyaenas came down upon what he had left." Mr. Bur- 

 chell says, " A new species of antelope, which had been shot late 

 on the preceding evening, was fetched home ; but during the night, 

 the hyaenas, or wolves as they are usually called by the Boors and 

 Hottentots, had devoured all the flesh, leaving us only the head 

 and the hide." These, and many more instances which we 

 might select, show us that in these regions, in the very hour 

 when any quadruped falls, the sharp-scented hyasnas immediately 

 m<ike their appearance, and rush into the encampments of man 

 for their share of the prey. At the Cape, they formerly came 

 down into the town, unmolested by the inhabitant?, tr cleai the 



Home. Comp Auat vol ii : . p. 216 



