VULTURE. 13 



This inhabits both North and South America, as also the West 

 India islands, and very common in Paraguay. It feeds on dead 

 carcasses, snakes, and other reptiles, and, from this circumstance, 

 becomes very oiFensive in smell. It is gregarious, resting, in num- 

 bers, on trees, during the night, in the manner of rooks in Europe. 

 INIakes the nest on mountains covered with brushwood, in a hollow 

 ti'ee, or log, laying two and sometimes as far as four white eggs, with 

 reddish markings, about 2|in. long and 2 in. broad — is seen about 

 Pensylvania in summer, passing to the south as winter approaches. 

 These are esteemed most useful in the places where they resort, and 

 secures their safety, which is further promoted by a penalty for 

 killing one, and this law was, not many years since, in force, if not 

 continued to the present time, in Jamaica and other West India 

 islands. When taken young, will often become very tame, if not 

 familiar. Two of them having been brought alive to England, 

 were given to me, and inhabited my garden, with some degree of 

 cordiality, during one summer, but an unexpected cold night killed 

 one of them; and though additional shelter was afforded to its com- 

 panion, it did not long survive.* In a wild state, their scent is most 

 exquisite : if a hog or other animal is killed, they collect in num- 

 bers, from considerable distances, a few minutes after; — ^j^oung lambs 

 frequently fall a prey to them, as well as pigs, soon after their being- 

 farrowed. 



The general measure of those found at Georgia, in America, 

 according to the information of Mr. Abbot, is 29 in. from the point 

 of the bill to the end of the tail ; extent of wings, six feet. 



* M. d'Azara confirms it, and mentions more than one instance, where the bird would 

 follow his master, for several leagues, when on a journey, by flying over his liead, and sleeping- 

 at night on the top of the carriage; and that it is not unfrequent to see these birds tame about 

 a house, like other domestic animals. 



