250 ON THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS, 
me, and between 26 and 27 miles the greatest speed. At 
the same time, I believe that elsewhere, when not thinking 
of alighting, or wishing to examine the ground closely, 
they travel with far greater rapidity. As far as I can 
make out that portion of the Mahassu ridge, above which 
they generally first appear, is almost exactly four miles 
distant from my post of observation, and on more than 
one occasion only six or seven minutes have elapsed between my 
first sighting a bird over the ridge, and its passing me, which 
would give a speed of 34 to 40 miles an hour. But then, of 
course, it is impossible to be certain that I really sighted the bird 
directly it did top the ridge. I may only have caught sight 
of it after it had progressed some considerable distance to- 
wards my position. 
Be this as it may, as a rule, the majority of the Vultures 
pass my station at a velocity of between 12 and 15 miles per 
hour. 
These Vultures are about four feet long, have an expanse of 
about nine feet, and weigh from 18lbs. to 20lbs. But in flight 
they retract the neck, and so appear much less than their full 
length, and laying out a freshly killed bird, with the neck 
drawn in as in flight, and with wings and tail spread to the 
utmost and tracing the outline, I found that at the outside the 
flying Vulture does not subtend a total surface of above 12 
square feet. 
It is to be observed that when you shoot these birds dead, 
they fall like stones ; when you wound one bad!y, in the body, 
it also falls like a stone for 10,15 or 20 yards, and then re- 
covering itself by a few laboured strokes, sails away, without 
another flap of the wings, quite out of sight. Nay, at times, 
if you only suddenly frighten them, down they dropas if 
shot. There is a projecting point, which they generally 
pass very closely. On several occasions I have hid in a 
clump of bushes, which is just at the hang of the point, and 
when abird has been about to pass me at the distance of a 
very few yards have started up shouting and firing both 
barrels (with powder only) just as he was abreast of me. In 
many cases, thus assailed, the birds have merely given a shud- 
der, and have swung on with the irresistible sweep of some 
planet in its course. But, occasionally, almost exclusively in 
the case of young, striped or lineated birds, the Vulture has 
fallen head over heels as if wounded, only recovering itself after 
a perpendicular descent of several yards. 
Near my favourite post of observation live two pairs of Black 
Crows (C. macrorhnychus). These Crows know me perfectly ; 
they are quite aware that, though I do carry a gun, I shall not 
shoot them, but still, on .vrinciple, they disapprove of men 
