70 A HISTORY OF 



brood without remorse. Wretched as is the flesh of these anima.^ 

 yet men, perhaps when pressed by hunger, have been tempted to tastt 

 it. Nothing tan be more lean, stringy, nauseous, and unsavoury. It 

 is in vain that, when killed, the rump has been cut off; in vain the 

 body has been washed, and spices used to overpower its prevailing 

 odour ; it still smells and tastes of the carrion by which it was nou- 

 rished, and sends forth a stench that is insupportable. 



These birds, at least those of Europe, usually lay two eggs at a 

 time, and produce but once a year. They mako their nests in inac- 

 cessible clifls, and in places so remote, that it is rare to find them 

 Tnose in our part of the world chiefly reside in the places where tho\ 

 breed, and seldom come down into the plains, except when the snow 

 and ice, in their native retreats, has banished all living animals but 

 themselves : they then come from their heights, and brave the perils 

 they must encounter in a more cultivated region. As carrion is not 

 found, at those seasons, in sufficient quantity, or sufficiently remote 

 from man to sustain them, they prey upon rabbits, hares, serpents, and 

 whatever small game they can overtake or overpower. 



Such are the manners of this bird in general ; but there is one of 

 the kind, called the King of the Vultures, which, from its extraordi- 

 nary figure, deserves a separate description. This bird is a native of 

 America, and not of the East Indies, as those who make a trade of 

 showing birds would induce us to believe. This bird is larger than a 

 turkey-cock: but is chiefly remarkable for the odd formation of the 

 Jdn of the head and neck, which is bare. This skin arises from the 

 base of the bill, and is of an orange colour; from whence it stretches 

 on each side of the head ; from thence it proceeds, like an indented 

 comb, and falls on either side, according to the motion of the head. 

 The eyes are surrounded by a red skin, of a scarlet colour ; and the 

 iris has the colour and lustre of pearl. The head and neck are with- 

 out feathers, covered with a flesh-coloured skin on the upper part, a 

 fine scarlet behind the head, and a duskier coloured skin before, far- 

 ther down, behind the head, arises a little tuft of black down, from 

 whence issues and extends beneath the throat, on each side, a wrink- 

 led skin, of a brownish colour, mixed with blue, and reddish behind : 

 below, upon the naked part of the neck, is a collar, formed by soft, 

 longish feathers, of a deep ash-colour, which surround the neck, and 

 cover the breast before. Into this collar the bird sometimes with- 

 draws its whole neck, and sometimes a part of its head ; so that it 

 looks as if it had withdrawn the neck into the body. Those marks 

 are sufficient to distinguish this bird from all others of the vulture 

 kind ; and it cannot be doubted, but that it is the most beautiful cf al 

 this deformed family: however, neither its habits nor instinct vary 

 from the rest of the tribe; being like them a slow, cowardly bird, 

 living chiefly upon rats, lizards, and serpents ; and upon carrion or 

 excrement, when it happens to be in the way. The flesh is so bad, 

 that even savages themselves cannot abide it. 



