THE VULTURE. 117 



Two Vultures sailing over-head in quest of a morning meal, 

 descended at the same time, stooping to the dead rat, the one 

 from the north, the other from the south, hoth seizing the 

 object of attraction at the same moment. 



In the last instance, the three senses of smelling, seeing, 

 and hearing, were comparatively equally concerned, though 

 not under the influence of the usual appetite for carrion food, 

 as the object was a living, though wounded, animal. A per- 

 son having had his pastures much trespassed on by intrusive 

 hogs, resorted to his gun to rid himself of the annoyance. A 

 pig which had been mortally wounded, and had run squalling 

 and trailing in blood through the grass, had not gone far 

 before it fell in the agonies of death. And at the very 

 moment the animal was perceived to be unable to rise, three 

 Vultures at the same instant pounced down upon it, attracted, 

 no doubt, by the cries of the dying pig, and by the scent of 

 its reeking blood, which was also visible on the ground : and 

 while it was yet struggling for life, began to tear open its 

 wounds and devour it. 



Some idea, indeed, may be formed of their voracity, when 

 we are assured that at one meal a Vulture contrived to devour 

 the whole body, bones and all, of an Albatross, the large sea- 

 bird which we have already described. 



The natives of South America avail themselves of the glut- 

 tonous greediness of this bird to catch it. A dead carcase of 

 a cow or horse is laid out for a bait, on which they gorge 

 themselves to such a degree, that they become quite drowsy 

 and stupid. When in this plight, they are approached by 

 the Indians, who easily throw a noose over them ; on finding 

 themselves prisoners they are usually for a time sullen and 

 shy : but this is not always the case, as the following story 

 will prove, related by Captain Head, and told to him by one 

 of his attendants, a strong English miner from Cornwall, 

 when exploring the mining districts of South America. 



The man, when riding along the plains, saw several Con- 

 dors, or largest sized Vultures, (described in Table III., p. 10, 

 under the genus " Fleshy Beaked,") of which the annexed 

 figure 1 represents the head ; and guessing that they were 



