52



Vultures in Africa.



nearly 90 feet in diameter. The approach to this strange place is

up a hill, through a little park made beautiful by trees and flowers

and the songs of birds.



VULTURES IN AFRICA.


By Graham Renshaw, M.D., F.R.S.E.


“ Unguibus et rostro tarda trahet ilia vultur.”— Ovid.


Vultures may be termed a permanent feature of every African

landscape. Sailing overhead in majestic circles through the azure—

slowly descending in ever-narrowing curves—perched on some craggy

ledge overlooking some awful precipice—in each instance these

strange wild-fowl add a touch of savage romance to the scene. Some

years ago the writer had the opportunity of studying at close

quarters the habits of the Egyptian species (. Neophron percnopterus).


One afternoon remains imprinted on the memory. The scene

was a romantic rocky gorge, along the bottom of which there flowed

a little stream : a cascade rushed into the abyss, dissolving in a

shower of spray. Swarms of Swifts wheeled about the rocks, their

nests dotting the rugged surface in profusion ; and crowds of Pigeons,

Jackdaws, and Lesser Kestrel enlivened the scene with their numbers.

High overhead the Vultures circled, black and white against the blue :

with their ample pinions it was difficult to distinguish them from

their neighbours, the Storks, and this difficulty has been experienced

by others—indeed, as they passed overhead the Vultures recalled the

Manchurian Cranes depicted on Japanese screens. As the writer

watched, a lovely being floated along the gorge—the Scarce Swallow¬

tail Butterfly ( Papilio podalirius ) with wings of primrose yellow 7 ,

zebra-striped in black. So near did it come that it seemed that it

could easily have been captured, but it was allowed to depart in

peace.*


On the rough ledge opposite nine Vultures sat in a row 7 , there

were several others below them, though they were difficult to make



* [This butterfly is literally “ zebra-striped,” for the varying breadth and intensity

of the bands on the wings wonderfully resembles the stripes and “ shadow

stripes” of Burchell’s Zebra ( Equus burchellii.) —Ed.]



