THE VULTURE. 95 



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 without 

 feathers, covered with a flesh-coloured skin on the 

 upper part, a fine scarlet behind the head, and a 

 duskier coloured skin before; farther down be- 

 hind the head arises a little tuft of black down, 

 from whence issues and extends beneath the 

 throat, on each side, a wrinkled skin, of a brown- 

 ish colour, mixed with blue, and reddish behind ; 

 below, upon the naked part of the neck, is a col- 

 lar formed by soft longish feathers, of a deep ash- 

 colour, which surround the neck, and cover the 

 breast before. Into this collar the bird some- 

 times withdraws 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 withdrawn the neck into the body.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 of all this 

 deformed family : however, neither its habits nor 

 instincts 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. 



58 



