1/4 THE VULTURE. 



having had his pastures much trespassed on by intrusive hogs, 

 resorted to his gun to rid himself of the annoyance. A pig 

 which had been mortally wounded, and had run squalling and 

 trailing in blood through the grass, had not gone far before it 

 fell in the agonies of death. And at the very moment the 

 animal was perceived to be unable to rise, three Vultures at 

 the same instant pounced down upon it, attracted, no doubt, 

 by the cries of the dying pig and by the scent of its reeking 

 blood, which was also visible on the ground : and while it was 

 yet struggling for life, began to tear open its wounds and 

 devour it. 



Some idea, indeed, may be formed of their voracity, when 

 we are assured that at one meal a Vulture contrived to devour 

 the whole body, bones and all, of an Albatross, the large sea- 

 bird to which we have already alluded. 



The natives of South America avail themselves of the glut- 

 tonous greediness of this bird to catch it. A dead carcase of 

 a cow or horse is laid out for a bait, on which they gorge 

 themselves to such a degree, that they become quite drowsy 

 and stupid. When in this plight, they are approached by 

 the Indians, who easily throw a noose over them ; on finding 

 themselves prisoners they are usually for a time sullen and 

 shy : but this is not always the case, as the following story 

 will prove, related by Captain Head, and told to him by one 

 of his attendants, a strong English miner from Cornwall, 

 when exploring the mining districts of South America. 



The man, when riding along the plains, saw several Con- 

 dors, or largest-sized Vultures (described in Table III., p. 10, 

 under the genus "Fleshy-beaked"), of which the annexed 

 figure (i) represents the head; and guessing that they were 

 attracted by some dead animal, rode up, and found a numerous 

 flock round the carcase of a horse. One of the largest was 

 standing, with one foot on the ground and the other in the 

 horse's body, exhibiting a singular force of muscular power, 

 as he lifted the flesh and tore off great pieces, sometimes 

 shaking his head and pulling with his beak, or sometimes 

 pushing with his leg. As the man approached, one of them, 



