284 THE VULTURE. 



imal, the Vulture takes its stand on some adjoining tree or rock, and 

 there patiently awaits the time when decomposition shall render the 

 skin sufficiently soft to permit the entrance of the eager beak. As 

 soon as its olfactory organs tell of that desired change, the Vulture 

 descends upon its prey, and will not retire until it is so gorged with food 

 that it can hardly stir. If it be suddenly attacked while in this condi- 

 tion, it can easily be overtaken and killed ; but if a pause of a few min- 

 utes only be allowed, the bird ejects by a spasmodic effort the load of 

 food which it has taken into its interior, and is then ready for flight. 



A controversy has long raged concerning the manner in which the 

 Vulture obtains knowledge of the presence of food. Some naturalists 

 assert that the wonderful powers of food-finding which are possessed 

 by the Vulture are owing wholly to the eyes, while others as warmly 

 attribute to the nose this curious capability. Others, again, desirous 

 of steering a middle course, believe that the eyes and the nostrils give 

 equal aid in this never-ending duty of finding food, and many exper- 

 iments have been made with a view to extracting the real truth of the 

 matter. The following account has been kindly transmitted to me by 

 Colonel Drayson, R. A., who has already contributed much original in- 

 formation to the present work : 



" Having shot an ourebi early in the morning, and when about three 

 miles from home, I was not desirous of carrying the animal behind my 

 saddle during the day's shooting, and I therefore sought for some method 

 of concealment by which to preserve the dead quarry from jackals and 

 Vultures. An ant bear's hole offered a very convenient hiding-place, 

 into which the buck was pushed, and the carcase was covered over 

 with some grass cut for the purpose. As usual in South Africa, 

 there were some Vultures wheeling round at an enormous height 

 above the horizon ; these I believed would soon come down and 

 push aside the grass and tear off the most assailable parts of the 

 buck. There was, however, no better means of protection, so I left 

 the animal and rode away. When at about a quarter of a mile 

 from the ant bear's hole, I thought that it might be interesting to 

 watch how the Vultures would approach and commence operations, 

 so I ' off-saddled ' and kept watch. 



" After about half an hour, I saw a Vulture coming down from the 

 sky followed by two or three others. They came down to the spot 

 where the buck had been killed, and flew past this. They then re- 

 turned, and again overshot the mark. After circling several times 

 within a radius of four hundred yards, they flew away. Other Vul- 

 tures then came and performed similar manoeuvres, but not one ap- 

 peared to know where the buck was concealed. I then rode off to a 

 greater distance, but the same results occurred. 



" In the evening I returned for my buck, which, however, was totally 



