GRIFFON VULTURE. 3 



extraordinary extent of vision. Their flight is rather 

 marked by a sustaining strength than great rapidity ; the 

 latter quality being more particularly required by those 

 birds which pursue and prey on living animals. The 

 more straightened claws of the Vultures, unlike those of 

 the Falcons, do not enable them generally to grasp and 

 bear away the carrion to their young ; but, more or less 

 restrained in these powers according to the species, most 

 of them devour their meal on the spot where they find it, 

 and conveying it away in their craw, disgorge it when 

 they arrive at their nest. 



It will be one of the objects of this History to trace our 

 British Birds, throughout all the various countries in which 

 they are found, and thus to show, as far as has been yet 

 observed, the extent of the range of each species. 



I am indebted to the kindness of Admiral Bowles for 

 the first notice of the capture in Ireland of the Griffon 

 Vulture, of which the engraved figure at the commence- 

 ment of this article is a representation. In the autumn of 

 1843, while Admiral Bowles was in command on the 

 Cork station, on his visiting Lord Shannon, at Castle 

 Martyr, near the Cove of Cork, he saw there this Vulture 

 which had been caught by a youth on the rocks near 

 Cork Harbour, in the spring of that year. The bird had 

 been brought to Castle Martyr for sale, and was purchased 

 by Lord Shannon's keeper for half-a-crown. The bird 

 was full grown ; the plumage perfect, without any of the 

 appearances consequent upon confinement ; there was no 

 reason to suspect that the bird had escaped from any ship ; 

 it was very wild and savage, and was in perfect health. 

 Not long afterwards Mr. Thompson observes in the An- 

 nals of Natural History already quoted, " his Lordship 

 politely offered the bird to Mr. Ball for the collection in 



B 2 



