VULTURES— FALCONS— EAGLES. 



697 



Africa, and builds his nest in the fissures of rocks on the peaks of inaccessible moun- 

 tains. In size he equals the condor, measuring upwards of ten feet across the wings 

 expanded, and his flight is not less bold ; leaving his lofty cavern at dawn, he rises 

 higher and higher, till he is lost to sight ; but, though beyond the sphere of human 

 vision, the telescopic eye of the bird is at work. The moment any animal sinks to the 

 earth in death, the unseen vulture detects it. Does the hunter bring down some large 

 quadruped beyond his powers to remove, and leave it to obtain assistance ? — on his 

 return, however speedy, he finds it surrounded by a band of vultures, where not one 

 was to be seen a quarter of an hour before. Le Vaillant having once killed three 

 zebras, hastened to his camp, at about a league's distance, to fetch a wagon ; but on 

 returning he found nothing but the bones, at which hundreds of oricous were busy 

 picking. Another time having killed a gazelle, he left the carcase on the sand, and 

 retired into the bushes to observe what would happen. First came crows, who with 

 loud croakings wheeled round the dead animal ; then, after a few minutes, kites and 

 buzzards appeared, and finally he saw the oricous descending in spiral lines from an 

 enormous hight. They alighted upon the gazelle, and soon hundreds of birds of prey 

 were assembled. Thus the small robbers had first pointed out the way to those of 

 middle size, who in their turn roused the attention of the bandits of a higher order ; 

 and none of them came too short, for after the powerful oricous had dismembered the 

 carcase, some very good morsels remained for the buzzards, and the bones furnished 

 excellent pickings for the crows. 



The Bacha {Falco hacha) inhabits India and Africa, where he sits for days on the 

 peak of precipitous cliffs, .on the look out for rock-rabbits (^mx cape7^s^s). These 

 poor animals, who have good reason to be on their guard, venture only with the great- 

 est caution to peep out of their caves and crevices in which they take up their abode, 

 and to which they owe their Dutch name of "klipdachs." Meanwhile the bacha re- 

 mains immovable, as if he were part of the rock on which he perches, his head muffled 

 up in his shoulders, but watching with a sharp eye every movement of his prey, until, 

 finally, some unfortunate klipdachs venturing forth, he darts upon him like a thund^er- 

 bolt. If this rapid attack proves unsuccessful, the bacha slinks away, ashamed, like 

 a lion that has missed his spring, and seeks some new observatory, for he is well aware 

 that no rock -rabbit in the neighborhood will venture to stroll out during the remainder 

 of the day. But if he succeeds in seizing the klipdachs before it has time to leap 

 away, he carries it to a rocky ledge, and slowly tears it to pieces. The terrible cries 

 of the animal appear to sound like music in his ears, as if he were not only satisfying 

 his hunger but rejoicing in the torments of an enemy. This scene of cruelty spreads 

 terror far and wide, and for a long time no klipdachs will be seen where the bacha has 

 held his bloody repast. 



The Fishing Eagle of AMg^l (Halicetus vocifer), first noticed by Le Yaillant, may be 

 seen hovering about the coasts and river-mouths of that vast continent. He is never 

 found in the interior of the country, as the African streams are but thinly stocked 

 with fish, which form his principal food. Elastic and buoyant, this agile dweller in 

 the air mounts to soaring heights, scanning with sharp and piercing eye the motions 

 of his prey below. Energetic in his movements, impetuous in his appetites, he pounces 

 with the velocity of a meteor on the object of his wishes, and with a wild and savage 

 joy tears it to pieces. His whole sense of existence is the procuring of food, and for 



