40 BLACK VULTURE. 



and gorges in peace on as much of the flesh as the nature of the spot will 

 allow. They do more : they often watch the young kid, the lamb and 

 the pig issuing from the mother's womb, and attack it with direful suc- 

 cess ; yet, notwithstanding this, they frequently pass over a healthy horse, 

 hog, or other animal, lying as if dead, basking in the sunshine, without 

 even altering their course in the least. Judge then, my dear Sir, how 

 well they must see. 



Opportunities of devouring young living animals are so very frequent 

 around large plantations in this country, that to deny them would be ridi- 

 culous, although I have heard it attempted by European writers. Du- 

 ring the terrifying inundations of the Mississippi, I have very frequently 

 seen many of these birds ahght on the dead floating bodies of animals, 

 drowned by the waters in the lowlands, and washed by the current, gorg- 

 ing themselves at the expense of the squatter, who often loses the greater 

 portion of his wandering flocks on such occasions. Dastardly withal, and 

 such cowards are they, that our smaller hawks can drive them off' any 

 place : the little king-bird proves indeed a tyrant, whenever he espies the 

 large marauder saihng about the spot where his dearest mate is all intent 

 on incubation ; and the eagle, if hungry, will chase him, force liim to dis- 

 gorge his food in a moment, and leave it at his disposal. 



Many of those birds accustomed, by the privileges granted them by 

 law, of remaining about cities and villages in our southern states, seldom 

 leave them, and might almost be called a second set, differing widely in 

 habits from those that reside constantly at a distance from these places. 

 Accustomed to be fed, they are still more lazy ; their appearance exhibits 

 aU the nonchalance belonging to the garrisoned half-paid soldier. To 

 move is for them a hardship, and nothing but extreme hunger will make 

 them fly down from the roof of the kitchen into the yard, or follow the 

 vehicles employed in cleaning the streets of disagreeable substances, ex- 

 cept where (at Natchez for instance), the number of these expecting pa- 

 rasites is so great that all the refuse of the town, within their reach, is 

 insufficient : they then are seen following the scavengers' cart, hopping, 

 flying, and ahghting all about it, amidst grunting hogs and snarling 

 dogs, until the contents, having reached a place of destination outside the 

 suburbs, are deposited, and swallowed by them. 



Whilst taking a view of this city from her lower ancient j^r^ I have 

 for several days seen exhibitions of this kind. 



I do not think that the vultures thus attached to cities are so much 



