SOCIABLE VULTURE. 3) 
it certainly has occurred in Europe, especially in Greece. 
The Norwich Museum contains a specimen which I 
procured from M. Verreaux, who assured me that it 
was killed in that country.” 
In the “Revue de Zoologie” for 1854, M. Jaubert, 
in his remarks upon the rarer birds of Central France, 
observes:—“‘The Oricou was killed twenty-one years 
ago at Crau; after having ornamented the collection of 
the town for many years, this bird was given to me, 
but, alas! I only got its precious relics. Another 
magnificent specimen was brought alive from Spain, 
but from what place I do not exactly know. After a 
residence for some years at Marseilles, it is now (1854) 
in the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp. ‘he specimen 
of M. G. Cara, said to have been obtained at Cagliary, 
was singularly enough confounded by that naturalist 
together with V. Kolbu, with G. fulvus. 
The Oricou, of which only the above two captures 
are recorded in Europe, ought to be considered a very 
rare bird; but it must be remembered that very few 
Vultures of any species are killed in Europe; the pursuit 
of these birds is one of the most dangerous kind, and 
hence few people, except naturalists, are animated by 
that enthusiasm which is ever regardless of personal risk 
in the pursuit of scientific objects.” 
The Sociable Vulture is a genuine native of Africa, 
where it lives in flocks, feeding upon the dead carcases 
of the large animals which inhabit that country. We 
are indebted for all we know about it to M. Le Vaillant, 
by whom it was discovered in the Namaqua district of 
Southern Africa, in 1790; and fully described by him 
in his “Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d’ Afrique.” 
The following account of its habits is collected from 
the observations of Le Vaillant:-— 
