BEARDED VULTURE. 17 



observed as yet. Small game, such, as foxes, lambs, or 

 marmots, it will pounce down upon direct and carry them 

 off. Larger animals it endeavours to drive over 

 precipices, and occasionally it will try this with hunts- 

 men who are in dangerous positions, and who have 

 declared that the noise, together with the strength and 

 rapid motion of the enormous wings, have exerted a 

 certain magical and almost irresistible influence over 

 them. The Lammergeyer is not always successful in 

 securing its prey. Near the so-called "dragon hole," 

 not far from Alpnach, a Vulture seized upon a live 

 fox, and carried it off into the air. The fox, however, 

 stretching out his head, succeeded in seizing his captor 

 by the throat, and biting him through. The Vulture 

 fell dead to the earth, and reynard went home well 

 satisfied with his exploit. 



The fact of these birds seizing upon children has 

 often been doubted, but there are many well-authen- 

 ticated stories of such catastrophes. In Appenzall one 

 carried off a child before the eyes of its parents and 

 neighbours. On the Silber Alpan, Schweitz, a Vulture 

 attacked a shepherd boy, began tearing him in pieces, 

 and finally precipitated him into an abyss before assis- 

 tance arrived. In the Bernese Oberland a child of 

 three years old, called Anna Zurbuchen, was carried 

 off, but rescued on the rocks without having been 

 much injured. She afterwards went by the name of 

 the Geier-Anni, and was living at an advanced age a 

 few years ago. 



These birds lift up great weights; in the Grisons 

 one took off a lamb weighing fifteen pounds. Another 

 carried away a butcher's dog; and another instance is 

 recorded of a goat being borne away. A Lammergeyer 

 seldom attacks grown people, never unless its nest is 



VOL. I. D 



