VULTUR. 585 



panded skin of the neck. In India it is every where exhibited 

 publicly as a show, and is, of course, more universally known in 

 that country than almost any other of the race of reptiles. It is 

 carried about in a covered basket, and so managed by its proprie- 

 tors as to assume, when exhibited, a kind of dancing motion ; 

 raising itself up on its lower part, and alternately moving its head 

 and body from side to side for some minutes to the sound of some 

 musical instrument which is played during the time. The Indian 

 jugglers, who thus exhibit the animal, first deprive it of its fangs, 

 by which means they are secured from the danger of the bite. 



Dr. Russel, in his account of experiments made in India with 

 this serpent, observes, that, as a general standard for a comparison 

 of the effect of its bite with that of the other poisonous serpents, he 

 never knew it prove mortal to a dog in less than twenty-seven mi- 

 nutes, and a chicken in less than half a minute. Thus, fatal as it 

 is, its poison seems not so speedy in operation as that of the rat. 

 tle.snake, which has been known to kill a dog in the space of two 

 minutes. 



CHAP. VI. 



BIRDS. 

 Aves. Linn. 



SECTION I. 



Condor Gryphus, 



Vultur. Link. 



X his is a bird of prodigious size, with a caruncle on the crown 

 as long as the head ; throat naked. Inhabits South America ; mea- 

 sures, with the wings extended, from tip to tip, not less than from 

 twelve to sixteen feet ; builds under the protection of the highest 

 rocks; lays two white eggs. It is a bird of fearful and enormou9 

 power, but, happily for mankind, in every country extremely rare. 

 Feuillee has well described a specimen that fell a prey to his own 

 courage. 



" I discovered," says he, " in the valley of Ilo, in Peru, a con- 



