BLACK VULTURE. 671 
ages of both these insatiable enemies, one can hardly imagine the 
numbers that remain.” * 
The Abbé Clavigero, in his History of Mexico, has clearly indicated 
the present species, as distinguished from the Turkey Buzzard : — 
_“ The business of clearing the fields of Mexico, is reserved princi- 
pally for the Zopilots, known in South America by the name of Galli- 
nazzt; in other places, by that of ure; and in some places, though 
very improperly, by that of Ravens. There are two very different 
species of these birds — the one, the Zopilot, properly so- called; the 
other, called the Cozcaquauhtli; they are both bigger than the Raven. 
These two species resemble each other in their hooked bill and crooked 
claws, and-by having upon their head, instead of feathers, a wrinkled 
membrane with some curling hairs. They fly so high, that, although 
they are pretty large, they are lost to the sight; and especially before 
a hail storm they will be seen wheeling, in vast numbers, under the 
loftiest clouds, till they entirely disappear. They feed upon carrion, 
which they discover, by the acuteness of their sight and smell, from 
the greatest height, and descend upon it with a majestic flight, in a 
great spiral course. They are both almost mute. The two species 
are distinguished, however, by their size, their color, their numbers, 
- and some other peculiarities. The Zopilots, properly so called, have 
‘black feathers, with a brown head, bill, and feet; they go often in 
flocks, and roost together upon trees., This species is very numerous, 
and is to be found in all the different climates ; while, on the contrary, 
the Cozcaquauhtli is far from numerous, and is peculiar to the warmer 
climates alone+ The latter bird is larger than the Zopilot, has a red 
head and feet, with a beak of a deep red color, except towards its ex- 
“tremity, which is white. Its feathers are brown, except upon,the neck 
.and parts about the breast, which are of e reddish black. The wings 
are of an ash color upon the inside, and, upon the outside, are varie- 
gated with black and tawny. 
« The Cozcaquauhtli is called by the Mexicans King of the Zopilots ; { 
and they say, that, when these two species happen to meet together 
about the same carrion, the Zopilot never begins to eat till the Coz- 
caquauhtli has tasted it. The Zopilot ‘is a most useful bird to that 
_country, for it not only clears the fields, but attends the crocodiles, and 
destroys the eggs which the females of those dreadful amphibious 
animals leave in the sand to be hatched by the héat of the sun. , The 
destruction of such a bird ought to be prohibited under severe penal- 
ties.” , 
We are almost afraid of trespassing upon the patience of the reader 
by the length of our quotations ; but as we are very anxious. that the 
subject of this article should enjoy that right to which it is fairly en- 
titled, of being ranked as an independent species, we are tempted to 
add one testimony more, which we find in the History of Chili, by the 
Abbé Molina. ' = 
* Voyage Historique, &c., liv. iv. chap. ix. p. 172. 
+ This is a mistake. 7 P 
{ This is the Vultur aura. The bird which now goes by the name of King of 
the Zopilots, in New Spain, is the Vudtur pupa of Linneus. : 
§ CLavicEro’s Mexico, translated by Cullen, vol. i. p. 47. London. 
