THE KING OF THE VULTURES. 309 



The dews, rich in odour, from balmy shrubs fell ; 

 And the Mocking-Bird warbled his night song's 

 farewell. 



reddish buff, beneath yellowish white ; quills greenish black; 

 tail black ; craw pendulous, orange coloured. It is about the 

 size of a turkey; but is chiefly remarkable for the odd formation 

 of the skin of the head and neck, which is bare; this skin, 

 which is of an orange colour, arises from the base of the bill 

 whence it stretches on each side to the head, thence it proceeds 

 like an indented comb, and falls on either side according to the 

 motion of the head ; the eyes are surrounded by a red skin, 

 and the iris has the colour and lustre of pearl. This species 

 has been placed at the head of the vulture tribe en account of 

 the superior beauty of its external appearance; and it is said 

 that it is no other way distinguished from the genus ; yet 

 Waterton asserts that when the king of the vultures is present, 

 the inferior species do not attempt to touch the prey till the 

 king is satisfied ! — There might be some truth in this without 

 attributing kingly qualities to the bird : the inferior species 

 might know experimentally that his majesty would not suffer 

 them to touch the prey till he himself is sated. It attacks, it is 

 said; only the weaker animals, devouring rats, lizards, serpents, 

 and every kind of excrement and filth; flies very high; a native 

 of America. 



The Aura, Carrion-Vulture, Aura-Vulture, Turkey- Vulture, 

 or Turkey-Buzzard, has the body greenish brown; quill feathers 

 black ; bill white. Another variety with body black ; quill 

 feathers brown ; bill cinereous ; size nearly of the preceding; 

 feeds on carrion, putrid carcasses, on which it gorges, and 

 crocodile's eggs, &c; sense of smell extremely acute ; inhabits the 

 United States, the West Indies, South America, and Africa ; 

 it is also said to be found in some parts of Europe j seen in large 

 flocks ; nest midst the recesses of solitary swamps in hollow 

 trees ; eggs from two to four, dull dirty white or cream 



