SOCIABLE VULTURE. 3 



it certainly has occurred in Europe, especially in Greece. 

 The Norwich Museum contains a specimen which I 

 procured from M. Verreaux, who assured me that it 

 was killed in that country." 



In the "Revue de Zoologie" for 1854, M. Jaubert, 

 in his remarks upon the rarer birds of Central France, 

 observes: — "The Oricou was killed twenty-one years 

 ago at Crau; after having ornamented the collection of 

 the town for many years, this bird w r as given to me, 

 but, alas! I only got its precious relics. Another 

 magnificent specimen was brought alive from Spain, 

 but from what place I do not exactly know. After a 

 residence for some years at Marseilles, it is now (1854) 

 in the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp. The specimen 

 of M. G. Cara, said to have been obtained at Cagliary, 

 was singularly enough confounded by that naturalist, 

 together with V. kolbii, with G.J ulcus. 



The Oricou, of which only the above two captures 

 are recorded in Europe, ought to be considered a very 

 rare bird; but it must be remembered that very few 

 Vultures of any species are killed in Europe; the pursuit 

 of these birds is one of the most dangerous kind, and 

 hence few people, except naturalists, are animated by 

 that enthusiasm which is ever regardless of personal risk 

 in the pursuit of scientific objects." 



The Sociable Vulture is a genuine native of Africa, 

 where it lives in flocks, feeding upon the dead carcases 

 of the large animals which inhabit that country. We 

 are indebted for all we know about it to M. Le Vaillant, 

 by whom it was discovered in the Namaqua district of 

 Southern Africa, in 1790; and fully described by him 

 in his "Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique." 



The following account of its habits is collected from 

 the observations of Le Vaillant: — 



