180 CLASS AYES. 



the condor is so closely furnished with feathers, that eight or 

 ten balls may strike against his body without one piercing it. 



It is worthy of observation, that the condor prefers carcasses 

 to living animals. It subsists, however, on both, and seems to 

 pursue small birds less than quadrupeds. 



We forgot to notice in the proper place the Angola Vulture, 

 of w'hicli we have given a figure, from a specimen which is in 

 the British Museum. 



We shall now notice two of the principal species of the sub- 

 division Percnopteri. 



The first is the Percnopterus of Egypt, ( Vultur Percnopte- 

 rus of Linnaeus, and leucocephalus of Gmelin.) In the illumi- 

 nated plates of Buffon it is entitled Vaufour de Norwege. 

 The plumage of this bird is perfect in this drawing, but the 

 figure is not exact as to the tail, which is represented equal 

 at its extremity, whereas it is wedged. The variety noticed by 

 Latham is of the same species, but of a different age. Buffon, 

 who gave to the vulture described by Mauduit the epithet 

 petit, was deceived in saying that the brown and Egyptian 

 vultures of Brisson must be sepai-ated, the second not being a 

 vulture, but a bird of another genus, to which Belon has 

 thought proper to give the name of Sacre Egyptien. Of the 

 identity of these two birds there is now no doubt, and of their 

 belonging to the species of percnopterus, which we are about to 

 describe. He was again deceived in saying, that his Norwe- 

 gian or White-headed Vulture was of a different species from 

 the brown and Egyptian vultures of Brisson ; that it differed 

 in having the feet naked, while those of the two others are 

 covered with feathers. This even appears to be a typographi- 

 cal error, though repeated in many editions of his works ; for 

 Brisson, whom he seems to have consulted, gives to the two 

 birds the naked feet which they really have. 



It is proper to notice here an unaccountable inconsistency 

 of M. Sonnini. In his article on the petit vautour, just 



