Among the Vultures in Asia Minor. 119 



carcass, composed of a leg, a side and shoulder deposited 

 thirty or forty yards from the cave, was covered with chat- 

 tering magpies, whose immacculate plumage and reflections 

 of blue and green belie their sordid tastes. For one hour 

 they banqueted noisily, when they were disturbed by the ar- 

 rival of a guest several sizes larger than themselves, who 

 then took undisturbed possession of the feast. It was the 

 Egyptian Vulture, a white bird with black wings and yellow 

 bill and feet, that can with some consistency be called Pha- 

 raoh's Chicken, as far as its size and appearance are con- 

 cerned; for although its wings spread six feet, its body is 

 not much larger than that of a large fowl, and its neck is 

 neither so long nor so bare as that of the large vultures; in 

 fact, only the head lacks feathers. This visitor was a 

 most propitious guest for my purpose, as his presence 

 would seem to the birds of the upper regions an assurance 

 of safety and hasten their coming. 



I was destined to undergo some suspense, however, be- 

 fore my dinner party was complete. A bird of magnificent 

 breadth of wing was circling around the place, in every Hear- 

 ing of his course making me puzzle over his identity and es- 

 pecially as to the peculiar formation of his beak which, in- 

 distinctly seen as he flew, appeared double, and only when I 

 came to know the bird better, proved to be the beard of the 

 Bearded Vulture, or, as we prefer to call him, the Lammer- 

 geier, the bird having the largest length and breadth meas- 

 urements of all the birds of Europe and Asia. At intervals 

 this bird emitted a curious buzzing sound, the only sound 

 which I have heard uttered by the Lammergeier. But before 

 he had fully determined to alight, things took a more de- 

 cisive turn. There was a rush of wind that made my heart 

 beat faster as the gaunt watchers descended from their 

 height, one after another in quick succession till the quiet 

 scene of the past hour was suddenly transformed to one 

 of confusion, the carnival of the Harpies gorging on the 

 booty or with striking wings and clattering bills disputing 

 possession of a morsel. The scene was complete when the 



