THE VULTURE. 1Q7 



coiour, and 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 

 skin round the eyes is of a beautiful scarlet, and the 

 back of the head is of the same : the iris of the eye 

 has the lustre of a pearl, and very nearly resembles it 

 in colour : behind the head arises a little tuft of black 

 down, from whence issues a wrinkled skin which extends 

 round the throat, below which, grows a collar of long 

 ash-coloured feathers, in which the bird is fond of con- 

 cealing its head. Though the appearance of the king 

 of the vultures differs from the rest of their tribe, yet in 

 habhs and disposition it is very much the same : it lives 

 chiefly upon lizards and serpents ; but does not refuse 

 carrion when it comes in the way. 



OF THE FALCON AND ITS AFFINITIES. 



As every creature becomes more important in the 

 history of Nature in proportion as it is connected with 

 man, and as falconry constituted the principal amuse- 

 ment of our ancestors, this bird may be considered of 

 more consequence than either of the former race ; and, 

 though much more diminutive in size, becomes more 

 interesting to the curious mind, 



A man of rank, in former ages, scarcely went out 

 without being attended by his hawk ; and so much was 

 it considered as a mark of distinction, that the nobility 

 were generally drawn with their favourite bird perched 

 upon their hand. In the reign of Edward the Third it 

 was made felony to put a hawk to death ; and to steal 

 the eggs, imprisonment for one year. 



In former times, the art of gunning was so little prac- 

 tised, that the hawk was not only valuable on accoynV 

 of the diversion it procured, but as. being the inatru* 



o3 



