PARROTS AND VULTURES 121 



clamour. Parrots love the seeds of the sunflower, 

 and may be seen in dozens hanging under the great 

 heads of the flowers, extracting the seed when it is 

 ripe. Some of these birds have curious notes. 

 Very often there is one calling, "Jogee, Jogee, 

 Jogee," and he is answered by another, who sounds 

 like "Cocky, Cocky, Cocky." This bird will 

 always oblige you with an answer, and go on for 

 an hour if you imitate him. We were once visited 

 by a whole party of vultures ; birds that we have 

 never before seen in the garden, or anywhere near 

 a house. We could not imagine the reason, when 

 we saw them flying about over the distant part of 

 the garden, so we went out to see ; and there we 

 found a dead cat in the path. So that was their 

 object ; but how piercing must be their sight to be 

 able to distinguish anything so small from the 

 immense height at which they fly. The Burra 

 Sahib counted thirteen of them round about in the 

 various trees; two being king vultures with red 

 on their heads. They quietly sat there, waiting for 

 us to go ; a most unusual sight. The master had 

 his gun brought, and he shot one. As it lay on the 



ground, I thought I had never seen a more wicked- 



Q 



