ORDER ACCIPITRES. 159 



They differ also in their discovered ears, in the form of their 

 claws, (those of the eagle, properly so called, being almost semi- 

 circular,) and in the tarsi, which, in the known species, are 

 totally naked. Besides these characters, which are merely 

 methodical, there are others of a more prominent kind which 

 cannot lead into error, nor permit the confusion of the genuine 

 vultures with any of the other birds of prey. Their port is 

 inclined, half horizontal, a position indicating their grovelling 

 nature ; whereas the eagle stands proudly upright and almost 

 perpendicular on its feet. On the ground, to which, by the 

 way, they are much attached, their wings are pendant, and their 

 tail trailed along. Accordingly, we find the end of the pen- 

 feathers constantly worn. Their flight is heavy, and they 

 experience considerable difficulty in taking their full soar. 

 Finally, they are the only birds of prey that fly and live gre- 

 gariously. 



Their mode of life, disposition, and habits, exhibit characters 

 still more marked. The vultures are cowardly, disgusting, 

 gormandizing in the extreme, voracious, and cruel. They 

 rarely attack living animals, but when they can no longer 

 satiate themselves on dead bodies. They attack a single 

 enemy with numbers, and tear carcasses even to the very bone. 

 They are attracted by the savour of corruption and infection. 

 The hawks, the falcons, and even the smallest birds of this 

 order, exhibit more courage than the vultures ; for they hunt 

 their prey alone, almost all of them disdain dead flesh, and will 

 reject that which is corrupted. Comparing birds with quad- 

 rupeds, the vulture appears to unite the strength and cruelty 

 of the tiger with the cowardice and gormandism of the chacal, 

 which likewise joins in troops to devour carrion and root up 

 the dead : Avhile the eagle has the courage, nobleness, magna- 

 nimity, and generosity of the lion. 



Endowed with a sense of smelling extremely keen, the odour 

 of corrupted flesh attracts the vultures from a considerable 

 distance. They fly towards it in flocks, and all the species are 



