XX. THE VULTURE. 



Never stoops the soaring vulture 



But another vulture, witching 



From his high aerial lookout, 



Sees the downward plunge, and follows 



And a third pursues the second,. 



Coming from the invisible ether, 



First a speck, and then a vulture, 



Till the air is dark with pinions. Longfellow. 

 THE length of the above quotation will, I am sure, 

 be excused for the sake of its beauty and accuracy ; for 

 it is now well established that Vultures find their food not 

 by scent, as some authors use to maintain, but by sight 

 only. Nor is it necessarily the case that a Vulture should 

 discover it at all ; often the ubiquitous crow is the first 

 comer, only to be driven oft by the kite, who in turn yields 

 place to his betters. The commonest Vulture hereabout 

 is certainly the Bengal or white-backed species (Pseudo- 

 gyps benqalensis), which may be seen almost any day soar- 

 ing high in air, his wings flat and motionless as boards, in 

 hope of the full meal that he gets, perhaps, once a week, 

 For when a carcase is found, and the Vultures are assem- 

 bled to enjoy it, they quarrel a good deal over the repast, 

 and many have to stand back before their despot, the 

 King Vulture (Oiogyps calvus), who keeps the plebians off 



