Fre] AND SYMBOLS. 281 



appearance along the Atlantic shore, or ascend the numerous 

 and large rivers, than the eagle follows it, and robs it of the 

 hard-earned fruits of its labour. Perched on some tall summit 

 in view of the ocean, or of some water-course, he watches every 

 motion of the osprey while on the wing. "When the latter rises 

 from the water with a fish in its grasp, forth rushes the eagle 

 in pursuit. He mounts above the fish-hawk, and threatens it 

 by actions well understood, when the latter, fearing, perhaps, 

 that its life is in danger, drops its prey. In an instant the eagle, 

 accurately estimating the rapid descent of the fish, closes its 

 wings, follows it with the swiftness of thought, and the next 

 moment grasps it. The white-headed eagles of society pursue 

 their course with equal disgrace to themselves ; and their method 

 is not more exalted. They take advantage of their strength, 

 and the great elevation to which fortune has raised them, for 

 the greedy purpose of discovering the movements of those who 

 are below them, the better to rob the more humble of even the 

 little they possess. p. 



Precedence. 



The Pondicherry vulture is an Indian species greatly resem- 

 bling the Bengal vulture in its habits, although it belongs to a 

 different genus. Now although this Pondicherry vulture and 

 the Bengal vulture are nearly of the same size, the former 

 appears to have the power of inspiring some kind of awe or 

 dread in his brother scavenger, for whenever he descends upon 

 a carcass on which a crowd of Bengal vultures are feeding, they 

 immediately make way for him, and even retire from their ban- 

 quet until he is satisfied. This proceeding has obtained for the 

 Pondicherry vultures the unearned title of king vultures, both 

 from Europeans and natives. There are Pondicherry vultures 

 in society men and women whose title to be considered supe- 

 rior to those around them is an exceedingly obscure one. But 

 they have somehow or other got themselves established as the 

 kings and queens of social circles, and their compeers retire 

 before their presence with a dread and respect worthy of the 

 Bengal vulture itself. Sometimes the table of precedence, 

 which is the bible of the fashionable world, may be settled 

 upon intelligible principle ; but it will often be found to bear 



