394 TROPICAL BIRDS OF PREY 



of Africa, and builds his nest in the fissures of rocks on the 

 peaks of inaccessible mountains. In size he equals the condor, 

 measuring upwards of ten feet across the wings expanded, and 

 his flight is not less bold ; leaving his lofty cavern at dawn, 

 he rises higher and higher, till he is lost to 

 sight; but, though beyond the sphere of 

 human vision, the telescopic eye of the bird 

 is at work. The moment any animal sinks 

 to the earth in death, the unseen vulture 

 detects it. Does the hunter bring down 

 some large quadruped, beyond his powers 

 Q?^^^ *^ remove, and leave it to obtain assist- 



^ciabie Vulture, auce ? — ou Ms return, however speedy, he 

 finds it surrounded by a band of vultures, 

 where not one was to be seen a quarter of an hour before. 



Le Vaillant having once killed three zebras, hastened to his 

 camp, at about a league's distance, to fetch a wagon ; but on 

 returning he found nothing but the bones, at which hundreds 

 of oricous'were busy picking. Another time, having killed a 

 gazelle, he left the carcase on the sand, and retired into the 

 bushes to observe what would" happen. First came crows, who 

 with loud croakings wheeled round the dead animal: then after 

 a few minutes ; kites and buzzards appeared, and finally he saw 

 the oricous descending in spiral lines from an enormous height. 

 They alighted upon the gazelle, and soon hundreds of raptorial 

 birds were assembled. Thus the small robbers had first pointed 

 out the way to those of middle size, who in their turn roused the 

 attention of the bandits of a higher order ; and none of them 

 came too short, for after the powerful oricous had dismembered 

 the carcase, some very good morsels remained for the buzzards, 

 and the bones furnished excellent pickings for the crows. 



The Eacha {Falco hacha, Daudin) inhabits India and Africa, 

 where he sits for days on the peak of precipitous cliffs, on the 

 look out for rock-rabbits (Hyrax Capensis). These poor animals, 

 who have good reason to be on their guard, venture only with 

 the greatest caution to peep out of their caves and crevices in 

 which they take up their abode, and to which they owe their 

 Dutch name of "klipdachs." Meanwhile the bacha remains: 

 immovable, as if he were part of the rock on which he perches, 

 his head muffled up in his shoulders, but watching with a sharp 



