THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF BIRDS. 41 



offal and the garbage, and decaying animals from afar, 

 and on ample wings speed to the uncleanly feast, 

 picking up every morsel, and ridding the tainted air of 

 its unpleasantness. These birds are everywhere pro- 

 tected in fact it is an offence in some countries to 

 shoot a Vulture, so highly are they esteemed. Through 

 being left unmolested, they flock round the houses and 

 in the narrow streets and squares of the by no means 

 too cleanly towns ; and rows of them may often be seen 

 sitting on the housetops, digesting their unsavoury meal, 

 or eagerly watching and waiting for food. We have 

 often admired the huge Griffon Vultures in Northern 

 Africa, tame as barn-door fowls, either in the dirty towns, 

 or on the dreary expanse of the Great Desert, where the 

 dead camel or gazelle were the objects of their hungry 

 quest. But of little less importance as a scavenger is 

 the Black Kite a positive boon throughout Oriental 

 countries, where it picks up all the scraps of offensive 

 matter, and shares the larger feasts with the Vultures 

 and the various kinds of Eagles. The Vultures and 

 the Kites and Eagles are welcome visitors to many a 

 blood-stained battle-field ; and in recent years, the sad 

 Soudan was probably saved from the additional horror 

 of pestilence by the good offices of these birds of death. 

 They were in constant attendance on the desert battle- 

 fields, and gorged themselves with the ghastly fare our 

 soldiers provided for them, when the Mahdi's fierce hosts 



