HAWKS AND FALCONS. 121 



more confidence ; for, almost the moment it was inflicted, he 

 marched boldly up, and struck at the snake with his feet ; 

 after which, finding it disabled, though not quite dead, he 

 rose almost perpendicularly to a very great height, when he 

 let it drop, and as it fell with great violence to the ground, 

 he seemed satisfied that there was no more danger to be 

 feared, and accordingly he followed it to the earth, and com- 

 menced his hardly-earned meal. 



Vultures are chiefly natives of the hotter regions of the 

 globe, such as South America, Africa, and other similar warm 

 climates. Some sorts are, however, not uncommon in the 

 southern parts of Europe ; and even in England, a few have 

 been seen and killed. In June, 1826, near Bridgewater, in 

 Somersetshire, a strange unknown bird was observed walking 

 on a road, which, on being pursued, flew about a mile towards 

 the sea, and alighted on the beach, where it was shot. It 

 had just been gorging itself with a putrid lamb, which was 

 most likely the cause of its allowing itself to be approached 

 within gunshot. On opening it for the purpose of stuffing, 

 the smell was excessively offensive. Another bird, apparently 

 of the same species, was seen near the place where this was 

 killed, but evaded pursuit. It was of the smallest kind, 

 measuring only, from the tip of the beak to the end of the 

 tail, two feet three inches ; and from the tip of one wing to 

 the tip of the other, five feet six inches and a half; whereas 

 the great Condor of South America is sometimes found to 

 measure nearly twelve feet from tip to tip of the wings, when 

 spread out. 



We next come to the Hawk tribe, which includes a great 

 variety of species of different sizes, from the largest, not 

 much less than an Eagle, to the smallest, not much larger 

 than a Blackbird. They differ, too, very greatly in disposition ; 

 some, like the Eagles, being all fire, spirit, and courage, 

 while others are dull and cowardly, and, compared with the 

 first mentioned, are what Vultures are to Eagles. The 

 chief distinguishing marks between the really called Falcons 

 and Hawks and true Eagles, are in the form and shape 

 of the beak, and length of the outer feathers in the wing. 



