VULTURE. 



in the same bird, as to make it doubtful where to place them. In this 

 case, the manners, may, perhaps, detennine. 



Vultures are not only greedy and voracious to a proverb, but 

 by no means timid, for they prey in the midst of cities, undaunted 

 by mankind. This may, perhaps, happen from their not being- 

 persecuted by any man, and arises from a arious causes, chiefly from 

 their not being obnoxious to him, as injurious, or suitable to his 

 taste as food, on the contrary, they are, for the most part, held 

 in veneration.* 



This tameness of the volatile creation, when not annoyed by man, 

 is manifest, from the accounts of our circumnavigators, who inform 

 us, that in the more desart places where they toviched, most kinds 

 of birds v.ere so familiar, as not to fly away at their approach, regard- 

 ing them more as objects of wonder than fejir. 



Autliors vary greatly in their sentiments concerning the Vulture 

 tiibe, owing to the very diflerent plumage of many of them while 

 young, and growing to maturity, which is equally the case with 

 many species of other genera. On this head we have endeavoured 

 to reconcile the opinions of those who have written concerning them, 

 leaving the reader to form his own judgment. 



Vultures are divided by 31. Temminck into three genera — viz. 

 Vautour, or true Vulture, this, in itself, is timid to a degree, when 

 opposed to any living bird, prepng wholly on dead and putrid 

 carcases. Tlie second, or Catharte, which feeds both on living and 

 dead carcases — and his third, the Gypaete, which is a formidable 

 race, and preys, by choice, on every living thing it can obtain 

 the mastery over, never touching carrion, except from the utmost 

 necessity. 



* The Storks in Holland are a proof of this, walking boldly in the middle of the streets, 

 as if they knew no one would hurt them, and which is truly the case, as that person thinks 

 himself fortunate, who has a nest of them on his cliimney, and if a stranger should kill one 

 purposely, he would run the risk of being very ill treated, if not of losing his life by the 

 «nraged multitude. 



B 2 



