VULTURES. 
229 
but shot nothing except a few black partridges and 
a couple of hares,, the latter of which in this country 
are generally hard and coarse. Upon our return to 
the spot where we had left the hog, which had not 
been killed above two hours,, we were astonished to 
find that not an atom of flesh remained on its bones. 
During our absence the vultures had descended upon 
the carcase and completely devoured it,, though in the 
most extraordinary manner. When we approached 
it appeared to be perfectly entire, but upon closer 
inspection we found the skin to be filled with only 
bones and air. The hide of the animal was so 
tough, that the vultures could make no impression 
upon it; they had therefore insinuated their beaks 
through the holes made by the balls in the boar’s 
body, gradually enlarging the orifice until they ob- 
tained admission for their heads, when with their 
usual voracity they tore from the bones and skin 
every morsel of flesh, and shortly swallowed the whole. 
The entrails were also consumed, so that there re- 
mained little more of the dead hog than an inflated 
skin, which two of our attendants bore away, no 
doubt gratified at the vultures’ ingenuity, since it had 
greatly diminished their burthen. 
The vulture is said to have a keenness of scent 
so extraordinary as to be sensible of the effluvium of 
putrid flesh at the distance of more than a mile. 
Certain it is, that if an animal of any bulk is de- 
stroyed and left on the ground, though there should 
be no vulture in sight at the moment of its destruction, 
within the space of half an hour it will be covered 
with these hungry spoilers, which never quit it while 
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