The adventures of a young naturalist. 4^5 



large hole, with perpendicular sides, about twelve yards 

 wide, we saw several hundreds of these bare-necked gentry 

 fighting over the carcass of a buffalo. We were retiring in 

 disgust, when the vultures, who had not seemed the least 

 alarmed at our presence, suddenly manifested fear, ana, 

 abandoning their prey, stood around in evident concern. 

 A new guest had made its appearance in the sky, and soar- 

 ed round and round above us. It settled down heavily, 

 and folded its black and white wings ; the new-comer was 

 the Sarcoramphus papa of the savants — a bird akin to the 

 condor. 



This king of the vultures, as the Indians call it, had a 

 black tail, and white plumage on its back. Its neck was 

 adorned with a ruff of pearl-gray feathers, and the top of 

 its head was streaked in symmetrical lines with a dark 

 down ; on its yellow beak there was a fleshy protuberance, 

 the utility of which ornithologists seek in vain to explain. 

 The magnificent bird darted round it a domineering look, 

 and, advancing towards the prey, began to feed. New 

 guests were incessantly arriving, but they all kept their dis- 

 tance. 



At last the sarcoramphus flew away, and immediately 

 the vultures rushed en masse on the carcass, which soon 

 disappeared under the crowd of beaks. 



We now made for the raft, but the distance was greater 

 than we had calculated ; and, before going on board, it was 

 highly necessary to free ourselves of the hundreds of ticks 

 which we had collected in the savannah. These insects are 

 black, and as small as fleas, and gather in masses at the ex- 

 tremities of plants, ready to attach themselves to any ani- 

 mal that brushes against them. They then bury their 

 claws in the flesh, and greedily suck the blood. It is a te- 

 dious job to pick off one by one these troublesome para- 

 sites, which cause an almost unbearable itching. 



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