336 VULTURES IN THE GREAT ALTITUDES. 



far distant specks, almost like flies, floating in the 

 regions of space. An attentive examination of these 

 objects will show that in most cases they are vultures, 

 thus keeping their aerial watch with untiring wings, and 

 the use of a good glass will frequently put the matter 

 beyond the possibility of a doubt. The altitudes at 

 which they are seen are often so great that they would 

 entirely escape the view of a careless observer, indeed 

 it is only the practised eye that would be at all likely 

 to detect them. Charles Darwin has expressly pointed 

 this out in his Naturalist's voyage in the Beagle 

 and we can fully endorse his observations. When 

 however the sportsman and wilderness hunter comes to 

 consider what a number of these immense birds will 

 suddenly come into view, when an animal has been re- 

 cently killed first as mere specks in the far distance, 

 and then gradually increasing in size as they come nearer 

 and nearer it will be evident by how great a number 

 of such birds the air must be peopled. 



Before the fatal event, not a bird was to be seen in 

 the whole extent of the celestial vault. From whence 

 then have these innumerable companies of winged harpies 

 descended out of the regions of space above? 



We cannot doubt that they have all the while been 

 watching far up beyond the reach of human eyes, both 

 the man and his occupation. That they have seen the 

 fatal shot fired, and the quarry fall, and that they know 

 that there will be something left for their share. An 

 immediate swoop is therefore made by the nearest birds. 

 All the other kinds which are also watching everything 

 that passes on the earth beneath from still higher 

 altitudes, and which have witnessed the rush of the first 

 birds towards the prey, instantly follow suit, and so 



