ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 299 



clicular sides, about twelve yards wide, we saw several hundreds of 

 these barenecked gentry fighting over the carcass of a buffalo. We 

 were retiring in disgust, when the vultures, who had not seemed 

 the least alarmed at our presence, suddenly manifested fear, and, 

 abandoning their prey, stood around in evident concern. A new 

 guest had made its appearance in the sky, and soared round and 

 round above us. It settled down heavily, and folded its black 

 and white wings ; the new comer was the sarcoramphus papa of 

 the savants — a bird akin to the condor. 



This king of the vultures, as the Indians call it, had a black 

 tail and white plumage on his back. His neck was adorned with 

 a ruff of pearl-gray feathers, and the top of his head was streaked 

 in symmetrical lines with a dark down ; on his yellowish beak 

 there was a fleshy protuberance, the utility of which ornitholo- 

 gists seek in vain to explain. The magnificent bird darted round 

 liim a domineering look, and, advancing towards the prey, began 

 to feed. New guests were incessantly arriving, but they all kept 

 their distance. 



At last the sarcoramphus flew away, and immediately the vul- 

 tures rushed en masse on the carcass, which soon disappeared 

 under the crowd of beaks. 



We now made for the raft, but the distance was greater than 

 we had calculated ; and, before going on board, it was highly 

 necessary to free ourselves of the hundreds of ticks which we had 

 collected in the savannah. These insects are black, and as small 

 as fleas, and gather in masses at the extremities of plants, ready 

 to attach themselves to any animal that brushes against them. 

 They then bury their claws in the flesh, and greedily suck the 

 blood. It is a tedious job to pick off one by one these trouble- 

 some parasites, which cause an almost unbearable itching. 



About five o'clock in the evening, the raft came to shore in a 

 bay shaded by palm trees. L'Encuerado hastened to stretch out 

 his tigers' skins, and, as night was at hand, we contented ourselves 

 with the remains of a tortoise. The Indian, who had walked 

 but little, cocked his gun and strolled along the edge of the 

 river. In about a quarter of an hour he returned, looking pale 

 and excited. 



