SOLITARY AND GREGARIOUS. 33 



On observing that they did not heed me I stole so 

 close that my feet were within one yard of the 

 horse's legs, and again sat down. They all slid 

 aloof a few feet; but seeing me quiet, they soon re- 

 turned as before. As they were often disturbed by 

 the dogs, I ordered the latter home; my voice gave 

 no alarm to the vultures. As soon as the dogs 

 departed, the vultures crowded in such numbers, that 

 I counted at one time thirty- seven on and around 

 the carcass, with several within ; so that scarcely an 

 inch of it was visible. Sometimes one would come 

 out with a large piece of the entrails, which, in a 

 moment, was surrounded by several others, who tore 

 it in fragments, and it soon disappeared. They 

 kept up the hissing occasionally. Some of them, 

 having their whole legs and heads covered with blood, 

 presented a most savage aspect. Still, as the dogs 

 advanced, I would order them away, which seemed 

 to gratify the vultures ; and one would pursue ano- 

 ther to within a foot or two of the spot where I was 

 sitting. Sometimes I observed them stretching their 

 necks along the ground, as if to press the food 

 downwards*." 



These appear to be the same birds described by 

 Acosta, under the name of Poullazes, which, as he 

 tells us, " have a surprising agility and a piercing 

 eye, and are very useful for clearing cities, not suf- 

 fering the least vestige of carrion or putrid matter 

 to remain. They spend the night upon trees and 

 rocks, and resort to the towns in the morning, perch- 

 ing upon the tops of the highest buildings, whence 

 they look out for their plunderf." We shall 'only 

 add to these accounts that of M. Desmarchais, who 

 strangely supposes the C. aura to be a sort of turkey, 

 that, instead of living upon grain, had become accus- 

 tomed to feed on carrion. " These birds," he adds, 

 * Amer. Ornith. ix. 107. j- Quoted by Buffon. 



