298 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



attack until decomposition shall have commenced ; but, when 

 skinned, a cloud of these repulsive birds will settle upon the carcase, 

 and it disappears in much less than half an hour. This is the 

 case in Abyssinia, where vultures are more numerous than in any 

 portion of the globe which I have visited. 



Many years ago there was a long and interesting discussion in 

 the Field respecting the power of sight or scent in directing the 

 vulture to its prey. Of course, views were expressed upon oppos- 

 ing sides ; one declared that the bird discovered its food by sight, 

 others pronounced in favour of guidance by scent alone. 



Common-sense would suggest that a bird which soars at such 

 an enormous height that it is frequently invisible to the naked eye 

 would not ascend without a purpose, as there can be no food 

 attraction in the great wilderness of space. What is that purpose ? 

 It is to obtain an extensive field of observation upon the world 

 beneath. If a bird hunted by scent, it would assuredly remain as 

 near as possible upon the surface to obtain that scent, instead of 

 soaring in an opposite direction, where the strongest smell could 

 never be detected. 



I have tried the experiment practically, many times. 



When an animal is killed and skinned, before the operation is 

 completed the first bird to appear is the wily and omnipresent 

 crow. The next is the ordinary buzzard. Both these birds are 

 near the surface of the earth, seeking their food with untiring 

 energy ; but although they may have keen powers of scent, even 

 they, in my opinion, are mainly guided by their acuteness of vision, 

 as they are always on the alert, hunting in every direction, and in 

 fact keeping a sharp " look-out." 



The third arrival is the small red-necked vulture. This bird 

 descends from a great height. 



It is now most interesting to watch the concentration from all 

 quarters of the compass ; this is easily arranged by lying beneath 

 a bush, and shading the eyes while you gaze into the deep-blue 

 sky. It will appear to be alive with the smallest flies, all moving, 

 all hurrying, and descending. These become rapidly larger, and 

 you are aware that they are vultures, collecting from such enor- 

 mous altitudes, that, were a mountain-top exposed, it would be 

 capped with everlasting snow. While you are straining your eyes 

 to peer into those blue vaults, you are startled by a tremendous 

 rush like the roar of a rocket ; this is the descent with closed 

 wings of one of the large bare-necked vultures, which has plunged 

 like a plummet for some 1000 feet, to share in the feast below. 



All those birds, Hying at high altitudes, have been soaring upon 



