14 BIRDS. 



breafl: and belly red ; faint on the tai'l, deeper near the head: the back 

 black J wings and tail yellowifh brown. 



Cruel, unclean, indolent; amazingly acute of fnmell, having two brf^c 

 noftrils without, and an extcnfive olfa6lory membrane within. Have 

 both a crop and a ftomach ; which may be regarded as a kind of gizzard, 

 from the extreme thicknefs of its mufcks j whereby they feem adapted 

 to eat corn, &c. when necelTary for fiibnftence. 



In Africa and Afia, are found in great abundance. The infide down 

 of their wing is converted into a warm kind of fur, and is fold in the 

 Afiatic markets. In Egypt are great flocks of them around the city of 

 Grand Cairo, which are proteded, and repay that proteftion hy their 

 fervices, in devouring the carrion and filth which might otherwife cor- 

 rupt the ajr. In America they follow the hunters at a little diftance ; 

 ■when they fee a beaft flead and abandoned, they call out to each other, 

 pour down on the carcafs, and pick its bones bare. " At the Cape of 

 *' Good Hope," fays Kolben, " they have a wonderful method of fepa- 

 " rating the flefh from the bones, yet leaving the flcin entire. It often 

 <f happens that an ox returning home from the plough, lies down by the 

 ^* way : then, if the vultures perceive it, they fall furioufly down, and 

 ** inevitably devour him. They fometim.es attempt them grazing, and, 

 ** to the number of a hundred, or more, make their attack together. 

 **> Their fenfe of fmelling is fo exquifite, that the inllant a car- 

 *' cafs drops, the vultures, floating from all quarters, come foufing 

 *' on their prey." They eat lambs, &c. ferpents are their ordinary 

 food. They perch, feveral together, on old pine and cyprefs-trees, 

 where they continue all the morning, with their v,^ings unfolded : nor 

 are they fearful, but fufFer people to approach them very near, particu- 

 larly when they are eating. Their floth, filth, and voracioufnefs almoft 

 exceed credibility. "When they have liberty to feed at their eafe, they fa 

 gorge themfelves, that they are unable to fly; but keep hopping along 

 when purfued (at all times are of flow flight, and with difficulty rife 

 from the ground); being utterly helplefs : But they often vomit up 

 what they have eaten, and then they fly off with greater facility. 



There is perpetual enmity between the vulture of Brazil, and the cro- 

 codile, which lays its eggs (above a hundred) in the fands, on the fide 

 of the river. She takes every precaution to hide the place : but a num- 

 ber of vultures (or galina-flbs, as the Spaniards call them) fit, filenc 

 arid unfeen, concealed in fome neighbouring foreft, and view her ope- 

 fa^ions. They wait till Ihe has laid ail her eggs; has covered them care- 

 fully 



