THE ADJUTANT. 
Ill 
and erect figure gives it an official air, until a nearer 
proximity dispels the delusion, and one of the most 
unsightly birds in nature is presented to the view. 
These creatures may he truly called the scavengers 
of India, as, especially near the sea-coast, they remove 
immense quantities of filth, which, if left to corrupt 
upon the earth, would be a perpetual cause of pesti- 
lence. 
An idea prevails among the Hindoos, that the 
bodies of adjutants are possessed by the souls of 
Brahmins ; shooting them, therefore, they consider 
an act of unpardonable wickedness : indeed, many 
persons profess to believe that they bear a charm- 
ed life, and are utterly proof against the murder- 
ous influence of powder and shot. In deference to 
these prejudices, they are seldom molested by Euro- 
peans. 
