THE BEARDED VULTURE. 183 



It is from the character in which it is best known 

 to them, as the spoiler of the fold, that this bird has 

 received from the natives of the German Alps its title 

 of L'ammergeyer, the Lamb Vulture. But although this 

 is its food of choice, it feeds also upon carrion ; and as 

 when in pursuit of a living prey it emulates the Eagles 

 by soaring alone or in company only with its mate, so 

 in its attack upon an unburied carcass it imitates the 

 Vultures by congregating in bands upon the spoil. 

 In such circumstances it does not usually descend from 

 aloft, but sweeps slowly along the ground towards its 

 expected banquet. Bruce relates, in his Abyssinian 

 Travels, a remarkable instance, illustrative at once of 

 its boldness and voracity. His servants were preparing 

 for dinner on the summit of a lofty mountain, when a 

 Bearded Vulture, attracted by the smell of the goat's 

 flesh which they were cooking, slowly made his ad- 

 vances towards the party, and at length fairly seated 

 himself within the ring which they had formed. The 

 affrighted natives started up and ran for their lances 

 and shields ; and the bird, after an ineftiectual attempt 

 to extract a portion of their meal from the boiling 

 water, seized a large piece in each of his talons from 

 a platter that stood by, and carried them off slowly 

 along the ground as he came. After an interval of a 

 few minutes the Vulture returned for a second freight, 

 but was shot by the traveller before it could carry its 

 purpose into effect. The manner of its flight in this 

 instance, as well as in many others, may be taken as an 

 indication that this species does not usually make its 

 prey of birds, which it is said rarely if ever to attack. 



Bruce remarks that on taking hold of this bird he 

 was not a little surprised to find his hands covered with 

 a yellow powder, which appeared to be produced from 

 the breast feathers ; while those of the back and wings 



