SOUTH AMERICA. 209 

 live animals, not even upon lizards, rats, mice, or frogs ; Third 



JoURNKY. 



I have watched them for hours together, but never could 



see them touch any living animals, though innumerable 

 lizards, frogs, and small birds swarmed all around them. 

 I have killed lizards and frogs, and put them in a proper 

 place for observation ; as soon as they began to stink, 

 the Aura Vulture invariably came and took them off. I 

 have frequently observed, that the day after the planter 

 had burnt the trash in a cane -field, the Aura Vulture was 

 sure to be there, feeding on the snakes, lizards, and 

 frogs which had sulfered in the conflagration. I often 

 saw a large bird (very much like the common gregarious 

 Vulture at a distance) catch and devour lizards ; after 

 shooting one, it turned out to be not a Vulture, but 

 a hawk, with a tail squarer and shorter than hawks have 

 in general. The Vultures, like the goatsucker and wood- 

 pecker, seem to be in disgrace with man. They are 

 generally termed a voracious, stinkhig, cruel, and ignoble 

 tribe. Under these impressions, the fowler discharges 

 his gun at them, and probably thinks he has done well 

 in ridding the earth of such vermin. 



Some governments impose a fine on him who kills 

 a Vulture. This is a salutary law, and it were to be 

 wished that other governments would follow so good an 

 example. I would fain here say a word or two in favour 

 of this valuable scavenger. 



Kind Providence has conferred a blessing on hot coun- 



2e 



