68 O^NHTHOLOgt. Book II. 



§. ii. 



* The Brajil Vulture called Umbu, by the Dutch Een Menfcheneter. Marggrav. By the 

 Mexicans Tzopilotl. F.Ximen. By Nieremberg and others Aura. 



| T is a rapacious Bird of the bignefs of a iG'te according to Marggravim ; of a mid- 

 J dle-fized Eagle or Raven according to Ximenes : Having whitifh feet like a Hens, 

 a long tail, and wings longer than it. The feathers of the whole body are black, 



* Ravi. with a little* tauny colour here and there mingled. It hath a fmall head, almoft of 



the fhape of a Turkeys, covered with a fomewhat rugged or wrinkled skin. In the top 

 of the head the skin is as it were divided long-ways, and on the left fide of the head 

 beneath the Eye is of a Saffron colour, above the Eye of a blew, alfo in the top 5 

 elfewhere of a reddifh brown. In the right fide of the head about the Eye above 

 and beneath it is of a Saffron colour, as alfo in the top: Elfewhere of a delayed yel- 

 low, or whitifh. It hath a pretty long Bill, hooked at the end, (harp, and covered 

 over from the head half way with a skin from Saffron-colour tending to blue. In the 



* ifuppofe he middle of the Bill above is *one bole of the Nofthrils,large,and fituatetranfverfly.The 

 Smmcrtrhole en( ^ °? tne B ^> t ^ iat ls Dare anc * wants the skin, is white. It hath elegant Eyes almoft 

 for both of the colour of a Ruby, with a round black Pupil : The Eye-lids of a Saffron-colour. 

 ahofcSou°h T * ie tongue carinated, and indented round with fharp teeth. Its flefh ftinks like 

 the Bill from Carrion. For they feed upon dead Carcaffes 5 and in the Capitania [ Chieftainftip ] of 

 fi'de to fide. Sirigippo, and River of St. Francis, when any one kills a beaft, they come flying pre- 

 sently in great numbers. It is an ill-looked bird, always lean, and never fatisfied, 

 Ximenes makes it to be a kind of Raven , but the Sear or skin covering the Bap of the 

 Bill, argues it to belong to the Rapacious kind, the bare head, and tip of the Bill on- 

 ly hooked, determine it to the family of Vultures. It feeds ( faith Ximenes) upon 

 dead flefh and mans dung. They pearch at night on Trees and Rocks, in the Morn- 

 ing they refort to the Cities, fit viewing and watching the ftreets on high places, and 

 when they fpy any filth, ^arbidge, or dead thing, they catch it up, and devour it. 

 Where they build or hatch their Young is hitherto unknown, although they be moft 

 frequent in almoft every corner of New Spain. Yet Acofta faith, that their young 

 ones are white, and that growing up they change and come to be as black as Ravens. 

 They fly always very high, and caft a horrible ftink from them like Ravens. They fly 

 conftantly in flocks, and fit upon trees, and feed joyntly in company upon dead Car- 

 caffes without any ftrife, or quarrelling, and when the reft fee any one not able to 

 move or help her ielf, they help her as much as they can, and bring her to the water : 

 For being waffled they recover ftrength to fly. If any one purfues them they empty 

 themfelves prefently, that they may be the more light to fly away 5 with like hafte 

 cafting up what ever they had fwallowed. The afhes of their feathers burnt take 

 awayhairs, fo that they come not again 3 which faculty is alfo attributed to the dung 

 of Pifn/ires, and the bloud of Bats. Their skin half-burnt heals wounds if it be 

 applied, and the flefh withal eaten 3 which is wont alfo to help thofe that are fick of 

 the French Pox. The heart dried in the Sun fmells like Musks The Dung dried, 

 and taken in any convenient Vehicle to the weight of a Drachm is profitable to me- 

 lancholy perfons. The Barbarous people fay, that where they lay their Eggs, they 

 compafs their Nefts with certain Pebble-ftones,which promote tranfpiration : But the 

 more probable opinion is, that they exclude their Young under ground, and take 

 them out when they feed them, and again cover them in the earth. 



Chap. VI. 

 Of the leffer fort of Rapacious 'Birds that prey by day, called Hawks. 



IT follows now that we treat of the leffer fort of Rapacious Birds that prey by 

 day, called Hawks. Thefe we have before diftinguilhed into the more generous, 

 which are wont to be reclaimed and trained up for Hawking , And the more 

 Jluggijh and cowardly, which becaufe they are either indocile, or unfit for Hawking, 

 are neglected by men. 



The 



