AFRICA. 
romancers may fay, who affirm they have 
feen fheep taken up into the air by condors, I 
maintain that there is not a bird known capa* 
ble of carrying away in its talons an animal of 
fo confiderable a fize. Be this as it may^ 
the following is a defcriptioni of my Africaa 
vulture, which I have not only feen, but 
brought away, and which is ftill preferved ia 
my collection. 
Its feathers, the general hue of which is a 
light brown, are of a particular kind on the 
breaft, belly, and fides, where they are of un-^ 
equal lengths, pointed, curved like the blade 
.of a fabre, and briftle up diftindl: from each 
other. The feathers being thus feparated 
would difciofe to view the Ikin on the breaft^ 
if it were not completely covered vv ith a very 
thick and beautiful white down, which is eafily 
feen between the ruffled plumage. 
A celebrated naturallfl has faid that " no 
bird has eyelafhes, or eyebrows, or at leaft 
hair round the eyes like that in quadru- 
^' peds." This affertion, advanced as a general 
law of nature, is a miftake. Not only the bird 
of which I am fpeaking has this peculiarity, 
but we know of many other fpecies in which 
4 it 
