400 
Carrion Crows Crowd on a Carcass, 
Christianburg, the property of a merchant, Mr. Patterson. The large 
saAv-miJls were driven not only by Avatei-, for they are built quite close 
to a snuill ceek, but also by steam-power. 
1.007. About two miles above Christiauburg the course of the 
Demerara, hitherto rolling from the south, becomes altered. It now 
runs from the south-east, a course which it keeps for about two miles, 
when it comes from the south-west, then from the north-west, till it 
again runs out of the south, so as to form here the most important bend 
so far met with throughout its entire course. It is in this latter 
bend that, on the right bank, the '200 ft. high thickly wooded Kasliwiuui 
Hills take their rise. Our attention was actively drawn to hundreds of 
carrion crows that were collected on the trees along the bank when an 
unpleasant stench soon struck upon our olfactory nerves, and the reason 
for this huge assembly was made clear. The statement of the Indians 
that it was piobal)ly the Wouraerepos [Vultiir papa) that were stilling 
their hunger, and that the Cathartes were waiting for them to l)e 
satisfied, induced me to land, and to watch this peculiar phenomenon 
Iprobaldy for the last time.* * 
1.008. The nauseous stench soon led us to the spot where the 
carcass lay, upon which Ave now cautiously sneaked. Six of these 
beautiful birds, three males and three females, had just settled down to 
their fastidious meal. As soon as they noticed our presence they flcAV 
np Avith that peculiai- noise which is produced Avhen they rise, and 
settled upon one of the neaiest trees where I managed to shoot down 
one of the males, but not mortally. The carcass Avliich had attracted the 
crowd of birds was tluit of a tiger-cat, said to have met its death through 
some accident or other, my In<lians maintained thiongh snake-bite. 
Fortunately, the wounded bird must only just liave come to eat: its 
crop Avas 'quite empty, and I could therefore take it alive into the boat, 
Avhich indeed Avould haA'e been impossible if it had been stuffed with its 
prey: the bird stank strongly like musk. I was conse(piently afforded 
the opportunity at the same time of admiring at close quarters the 
gloriously coloured skin of the bird's head and neck and of its beautiful 
eyes. Hardly had it 1>een killed for skinning, hardly had the carcass 
started to get cold,, thfln the gorgeous colours gradually began to 
fade, and on the following day not a trace of them AA'as left. The 
shot had also scared the innumeralde Cathartes which now in company 
with the King- Vultures swayed in a circle round the spot, and con- 
tinued to rise higher and higher into the air. The feed hoA\"ever was 
too tempting to alloAV of their leaA'ing the! spot, for several of thetn, 
with draA\'n-in Avings and the speed of a falling stone, suddenly 
rushed perpendicularly down from their heights. A peculiar noise 
was produced l>y this rapid vertical cut through the air, that sounded 
like the whistling of a flying l)ullet, and drew my attention to the 
strange manoeuvre. Just as the birds apparently got to the tops of 
the trees they suddenly altered their perpendicular course to an 
*. An exhaustive replv in a foot-note is here made to ihp nnhlished attack of voti Tschudi 
in his "Fanna Peruana " part 7, n. 70, against Schomburgk's veracity. The attack is of 
course absohitelv unwarrantable. (Ed.) 
