504 THE BLACK VULTURE. 



coverts are of a bright fawn. The middle wing-coverts and 

 tail-feathers are glossy black. 



These superb birds may sometimes be seen seated in pairs 

 on the topmost boughs of trees, but occasionally in large 

 flocks. The great expanse and power of his wings enables 

 the king vulture to soar to a prodigious height, whence he 

 can survey with his piercing sight a wide extent of his 

 domain ; possibly also his exquisite sense of smell enables 

 him to detect the odour of the putrefying carcass which rises 

 through the pure air. 



He is somewhat of a tyrant among his subjects ; for not 

 only will he allow no other vultures or carrion-feeding birds 

 to approach the carcass he has selected, but on his appear- 

 ance the other species, who may already have discovered it, 

 fly to a distance, and stand meekly looking on while their 

 sovereign gorges himself. 



The king vulture makes his nest in the hollow of a tree, 

 where his queen lays two eggs. 



THE BLACK VULTURE. 



The gallinaso, or black vulture (Cathartes atratus), acts 

 the part of a scavenger, and as such is of great use through- 

 out the whole centre of South America, as also in the north- 

 ern continent. Disgusting as are its habits and appearance, 

 it is carefully protected, on account of the service it renders 

 to mankind. 



It may easily be distinguished from the turkey-buzzard, 

 which it greatly resembles, by the shape of the feathers round 

 its neck, which descend from the back of the head towards 

 the throat in a sloping direction ; whereas those of the turkey- 

 buzzard form a ring round the throat. Its general colour is 



