THE ALPINE VULTURE. 169 



because then the scent is not only the strongest, but the 

 wild animals get sickly or perish through the failure of the 

 pastures. They very rarely visit England, though a pair was 

 seen near Bridge water in 1826. They are light in proportion 

 to their wings, and thus they are long-flighted birds. They 

 appear to be perfectly inoffensive to living animals, and are, 

 no doubt, of great use in helping to keep pure the air on the 

 margin of the great desert which extends from the west of 

 Africa far into the east of Asia. That is their proper locality ; 

 and though to us they are rather repulsive, they are, in their 

 own proper place, very serviceable birds. 



Such are short notices of the whole, or nearly thenSSiole, 

 of the British birds of prey, the best defined as an order, and A " 

 on many accounts the most interesting of all birds. Resident 

 or visitant, they are adapted to all situations, all seasons, aiSK 

 all hours of the day. Those that feed upon animals which 

 are valuable to man, court the desert and the depth of the 

 wood, shun the dwelling of man, and flee at his approach. 

 Others, such as the barn-owl, which destroy only those 

 animals that are noxious to man, court his society, probably 

 multiply as improvement and cultivation spread, are easily 

 tamed, and if once tamed, show no disposition to wander 

 when left at liberty to do so, but will even return to the 

 house after being driven away. They in fact need no taming; 

 for Mr. Waterton simply placed a stone upon which they 

 could sit, planted an ivy in which they could find shelter, 

 and forbade the molesting of the birds, and the destruction 

 of their eggs, and they remained and multiplied, became 

 familiar without being troublesome, and were diligent servants 

 without expense. 



