VULTURID.E. H 



ing on those countries. It is a very powerful bird, and 

 is the first to appear about a carcase. 



I believe naturalists are not quite agreed as to whether 

 Vultures hunt by sight, by scent, or by both faculties 

 combined. I have myself no doubt that they employ 

 the one sense as well as the other in finding their prey, 

 though I feel inclined to give sight the preference; and 

 I had once a very striking proof of how they employ 

 their vision in guiding them to carrion — in this instance, 

 however, not so much by the actual sight of the carrion 

 (though the first discovery probably originated in that 

 way) as by another singular contrivance. Early one 

 morning as I was toiling up the ascent of a somewhat 

 elevated ridge of hills, with the view of obtaining bearings 

 for my travelling map, and before arriving at the summit, 

 I observed several Vultures descending near me ; but 

 thinking I had merely disturbed them from their lofty 

 perch, I did not take any particular notice of their 

 appearance, as the event was one of usual occurrence ; 

 but on gaining my destination, I found that the birds 

 were not coming merely from the hill summit, but from 

 an indefinite distance on the other side. This circum- 

 stance, coupled with the recollection that I had wounded 

 a zebra on the preceding day in the direction towards 

 which the Vultures were winging their way, caused me 

 to pay more attention. The flight of the Vultures was 

 low, at least five hundred to a thousand feet below the 

 summit of the mountain ; and on arriving near the base 

 they would abruptly rise without deviating from their 

 direct course ; and no sooner was the obstacle in their 



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