THE VULTURE. 



25 



the vulture rise to any very astonishing height in the 

 heavens, as is the custom with the eagle, the glebe, 

 and some other birds of prey ; and I am even fully 

 of opinion, that when these last-mentioned birds 

 soar so high, they are not upon the look-out for food. 

 When looking at the vultures aloft, I could always 

 distinguish the king of the vultures from the common 

 vulture, and the common vulture from the Vultur 

 Aura. Sometimes an inexperienced observer in 

 Guiana may mistake for vultures a flock of birds 

 soaring to a prodigious height in the sky ; but, upon 

 a steady examination, he will find that they are 

 Nandapoas. 



I conceive that we are in error when we suppose 

 that birds of prey rise to such an astonishing height 

 as we see them do, in order to have a better oppor- 

 tunity of observing their food on the ground below 

 them. I have watched gledes and hawks intensely, 

 when they have been so high that they appeared a 

 mere speck in the azure vault ; still, when at such a 

 great height, I have never been able, in one single 

 instance, to see them descend upon their prey, dur- 

 ing the many years in which I have observed them. 

 But, on the other hand, when birds of prey are in 

 quest of food, I have always seen them fly at a very 

 moderate height over the woods and meads, and 

 strike their victim with the rapidity of lightning. 

 Thus, the kestrel hovers at so comparatively short 

 a distance from the earth, that he is enabled to drop 

 down upon a mouse, and secure it as quick as thought 

 Thus, the merlin and sparrowhawk, a little before 



