THE VULTURE. 141 



them an opportunity of tearing it off; but they are 

 then as often disappointed of their expected feast, 

 for the flesh, when in a very decayed state, becomes 

 almost fluid, and runs off, to the great disappointment 

 of the hungry birds. 



Naturalists are a good deal divided as to the 

 faculty by which these birds are enabled to discover, 

 in a most surprising manner, a dead or dying animal 

 at the distance of even many miles. 



In travelling over the immensely wide deserts of 

 Africa, where there is not a blade of grass to tempt 

 a living bird or animal, and no inducement, there- 

 fore, for birds of prey to scour those vast wildernesses 

 in search of game, should a camel or other beast of 

 burden drop under its load, in the train of a caravan, 

 in less than half an hour there will be seen, high in 



' O 



the air, a number of the smallest specks, moving 

 slowly round in circles, and gradually growing larger 

 and larger as they descend in spiral windings towards 

 the earth ; these are the Vultures, but whence they 

 come, or by what sign, or call, they are collected at a 

 height beyond the reach of the human eye, is still a 

 mystery; though we are much inclined to suspect 

 that they derive their information from an incon- 

 ceivable keenness of sight, rather than, as some sup- 

 pose, from an extraordinary sense of smelling, which 

 has been attributed to them. "When within a few 

 yards, the spiral motion is changed for a direct line, 

 they then alight on the body, and, tearing it in pieces, 

 feed upon it with greediness. 



Some idea, indeed, may be formed of their vora- 

 city, when we are assured that, at one meal, a 

 Yulture contrived to devour the whole body, bones 



