VULTURE. O 



even, fourteen inches long, black ; thigh feathers long. Legs stout, 

 reddish bro>v« ; claws black and blunt. 



The other bird had nearly the same extent of wing, was rather 

 less in size, but, except in wanting the carunculated membrane on 

 the crown, one description might serve — whether this is a female or 

 young male bird, cannot precisely be said, but most probably the 

 former. 



llie above were brought from the Straits of Magellan, by 

 Capt. Middleton, but they are also fovmd in other parts of South 

 Ameiica, and have been mentioned, though imperfectly, by various 

 authors. 



In the year 1691, one is said to have been met with in lat. 33, 

 south, not far from the Island Mocha, in the South Seas, whose 

 extent of wing was sixteen feet. This was black and white, like a 

 magpie, and had a crest or comb, sharp, like a razor. The seamen 

 shot it on a cliff by the sea side, and supposing it to be a kind of 

 tinkey, made a meal of it.* 



In Spilburgen's Voyage, ch. 7. it is mentioned, that two 

 fowls were taken in the Island of Loubesf, in beak, wings, and 

 talons, resembling an eagle, with combs on their heads like cocks, 

 being two ells in height, and three in breadtli, from the tip of one 

 Aving to that of the other, when extended — and, in HaAvkesworth's 

 Voyages,:}: one is said to have been shot at Port Desire, off Penguin's 

 Island, of wliich this description is given : — " The head resembled 

 " tliat of an eagle, except that it had a large comb upon it. Round 

 " the neck it had a white ruff, exactly resembling a lady's tippet: the 

 "feathers on the back as black as jet, and as bright as the finest 

 " polish could render that mineral : the legs were remarkably strong 

 "and large, and the wings, when extended, measured, from point to 

 " point, no less than twelve feet." 



* Phil. Trans. 18. p. 61 Rail. Syn. Av. p. 11. 



t This is not far from Peyta, in South America, 

 i Vol. 1. p. 15. 



