372 Mr. Vigors's Sketches in Ornithologj/. 



Another distinguishing character in this family, which equally 

 corresponds with the nature of their food, is the nakedness of the 

 parts about the head. We may in general observe that the effect 

 upon birds of feeding upon flesh, and particularly when it is in a 

 state of decay, is that of producing a falling off of the feathers, or 



have long associated these two corresponding groups together as uniting in 

 their work of destruction : 



'jTo>^Xiis h KTNES y.xi TTOES e^ovrcct 



Tfiuuv. 



II. XVIII. 271. 



T«x« "^i' f KTNE2 axi TTnES c^ovrai 



K.ttlA.tVOY. 



II. XXII. 42. 



ToDtov iro\ti Ti7~d' ty.y(.iy.'n^vy(^ xt^ Toc^ut 



MljTE XTEf i^E/'y, /A»)T£ KU))lVt7XI T/Va, 



Ka/ ir^os KTNHN s^sutov ocimarov r i^Hv. 



Soph, Ant. 203. 



Unguibus et rostro tardus trahet ilia vtdtur ; 

 Et scindent avidaB perfida corda canes. 



Ovid. Ibis. 169. 



Silius Italicus, in referring to an extraordinary custom prevalent in some 

 nations of exposing their dead to the ravages of animals, particularizes these 

 two groups as the agents of destruction. 



Tellure, ut perhibent, is mos antiquus Ibera, 



Exanima obscoenus consumit corpora vullur. 



Regia cum lucem posuerunt membra, probatum est, 



Hyrcanis adhibere canes. 



DeBell. Pun. XIII. 471. 



Lucretius also may be ad Juced as pointing out the corresponding mode in 

 which both are led to their prey, through the medium of their organs of smell. 



per 1 



lonsre ducuntur odore 



Volturii cadaveribus ; tum fissa ferarum 



Ungula quo tulerit gressum, promissa caniitn vis 



Ducit. 



De Rer. Nat. IV. 682. 



This connection between the two groups seems to have given rise to a sort of 

 proverbial expression, " Si vero naribus nidorem domesticura prassentit, 

 vincit idem sagacitate odorandi et Canes et Vultures. Apul. de Magia. 



