22 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The carrion vulture , or turkey buzzard, is the next in 
order and consequence. They are found in vast flocks in 
all parts of America, where they are of great utility in de- 
stroying snakes and vermin, and in devouring the dead and 
putrid carcases. 'JLhis bird is about the size of a turkey, 
i he head and neck are bare of feathers, and of a reddish 
colour, and the sides of the head warted like those of the 
turkey. The whole plumage is a brownish black, with a 
purple and greenish gloss in different directions. 
The Egyptian vulture is much of the same nature, but 
is not above the size of a kite. 
But of all the birds of this genus, the Secretary is the 
most elegant. It is full three feet in height ; the bill black, 
and like that of an eagle. On the upper eye-lid there are 
large bristles, like eye-lashes, and from the back of the head 
springs a beautiful pendant crest. The body in general is 
ash-coloured, and the tips of the wings arc black. It in- 
habits all the southern parts of Africa. 
Besides these, naturalists have mentioned the -crested 
vulture , the Arabian vulture , the bearded vulture , th e, black 
vulture , the Angola , and the Bengal vultures , the tawny 
vulture , &c. 
The Falcon. Falconry, which is now so much disused 
among us, was the principal amusement of our ancestors. 
A person of rank scarcely stirred out without his hawk on 
his hand, which in old paintings is the criterion of nobility. 
The expense which attended this sport was very great : 
among the old Welch princes, the king’s falconer was the 
fourth officer in ihc state ; but, notwithstanding all his ho- 
nours, he was forbidden to take more than three draughts 
of beer from his horn, lest he should get drunk and 
neglect his duty. In the reign of James the First, Sir 
Thomas Monson is said to have given a thousand pounds 
for a cast of hawks ; and such was their value in general, 
that it was made felony in the reign of Edward the Third 
to steal a hawk. To take its eggs, even in a person’s own 
ground, was punishable with imprisonment for a year and 
a day, together with a fine at the king’s pleasure. 
Of many of the ancient falcons used for this purpose, we at 
this time know only the names. Of those in use at present, 
both here and in other countries, are the gyr-falcon, the fal- 
con, the tanner, the sac re, the hobby, the kestril, and the 
merlin. 'Ihese are called the long-winged hawks, to dis- 
tinguish them from the goss-hawk, the sparrow-hawk, the 
kite, and the buzzard, that are of shorter wing, and either 
