BLACK VULTURE. I4I 
gobbles them down, leaving nothing but the shells. This 
banquet would, indeed, richly reward its patience, did not a 
multitude of gallinazos join the fortunate discoverer, and share 
in the spoil. 
“How admirable the wisdom of that Providence which 
hath given to the male alligator an inclination to devour its 
own offspring, and to the gallinazo a taste for the eggs of the 
female! Indeed, neither the rivers nor the neighbouring 
fields would otherwise be sufficient to contain the multitudes 
that are hatched; for, notwithstanding the ravages of both 
these insatiable enemies, one can hardly imagine the numbers 
that remain.” * 
The Abbé Clavigero, in his “ History of Mexico,” has clearly 
indicated the present species as distinguished from the turkey 
buzzard :— 
“The business of clearing the fields of Mexico is reserved 
principally for the zopilots, known in South America by the 
name of gallinazzi, in other places by that of awre, and 
in some places, though very improperly, by that of ravens. 
There are two very different species of these birds: the one, 
the zopilot, properly so called; the other, called the cozca- 
quauhtli: they are both bigger than the raven. These two 
species resemble each other in their hooked bill and crooked 
claws, and by having upon their head, instead of feathers, a 
wrinkled membrane with some curling hairs. They fly so 
high, that, although they are pretty large, they are lost to the 
sight ; and especially before a hailstorm they will be seen 
wheeling in vast numbers under the loftiest clouds, till they 
entirely disappear. They feed upon carrion, which they dis- 
cover, by the acuteness of their sight and smell, from the 
sreatest height, and descend upon it with a majestic flight, 
in a great spiral course. They are both almost mute. The 
two species are distinguished, however, by their size, their 
colour, their numbers, and some other peculiarities. ‘The 
zopilots, properly so called, have black feathers, with a brown 
* Liv. iv. chap. ix. p. 172. 
