BLACK VULTURE. 28 



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 another 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." 



The Carrion-crow is seldom found, on the Atlantic, to the 

 northward of Newbern, North Carolina, but inhabits, as far as 

 we can ascertain, the whole southern continent. Don Ulloa, in 

 taking notice of the birds of Carthagena, gives an account of a 

 Vulture, which we shall quote, in order to establish the opinion, 

 advanced in the preceding history, that it is the present spe- 

 cies. We shall afterwards subjoin other testimony in confirma- 

 tion of this opinion. With respect to the marvellous tale of their 

 attacking the cattle in the pastures, it is too improbable to merit 

 a serious refutation; and it is to be regretted that Vieillot should 

 have perpetuated this slander, which is so absurd, that we won- 

 der how it could have escaped his animadversion. 



" It would be too great an undertaking," says Ulloa, "to de- 

 scribe all the extraordinary birds that inhabit this country; but 

 I cannot refrain from taking notice of that to which they give 

 the name of Gallinazo, from the resemblance it has to the Tur- 

 key-hen. This bird is of the size of the Pea-hen, but its head 

 and neck are somewhat larger. From the crop to the base of 

 the bill there are no feathers; and the skin, which is of a brown- 

 ish, black colour, is wrinkled and rough, and covered with 

 small warts and tubercles. The plumage of the bird is also 

 black. The bill is well proportioned, strong, and a little hook- 

 ed. These birds are familiar in Carthagena, the tops of the 



