130 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



animal. Their actions after feeding were exactly 

 the counterpart of those of the parents. Having 

 finished their toilettes, the three sought the rail by 

 the side of the father, where, like their illustrious 

 heads, they were soon occupied with the most self- 

 satisfying thoughts, utterly oblivious, as it seemed, 

 of time and surroundings. 



"More than an hour was thus spent in drowsy 

 meditation, when, as by common consent, they all, 

 one after the other, leaped to the ground, where 

 they busied themselves preening their feathers and 

 preparing for departure. The time being ripe, the 

 female set the example. With a run of a half- 

 dozen yards to gain a good start, she was soon on 

 the wing, and in fifteen minutes or more she was 

 lost in the ether. The male followed suit, and when 

 he had vanished from sight, the young, one after the 

 other, mounted the atmosphere, and gradually cir- 

 cling their way through limitless depths, were also 

 soon lost to the earth-chained beholder." 



Numbers of such stories and experiences could 

 be told, which, to the uninitiated, would seem almost 

 incredible. Yet there are many reliable witnesses 

 to the facts regarding the family life of these 

 scavengers, and it is certain that the female buz- 

 zard rules the family — a feathered autocrat — ^who 

 at times finds it necessary to chastise even her mate! 



