250 
OBSERVATIONS ON VULTURES 
these trials, ^ 
turned them 
ick>« 
my hungry birds would jump against the bars, 
furiously, and attempt all in their power to reach n.j 
food. This was repeatedly done with fresh and p« trl 
substances, all very congenial to their taste. 
“ Satisfied within myself, I dropped t 
fed the birds until full grown, and then tu 
into the yard of the kitchen for the purpose of ph'h 
up whatever substances might be thrown to th c 
Their voracity, however, soon caused their 
young pigs were not safe, if within their reach; 
young ducks, turkeys, or chickens, were such a con^j 
temptation, that the cook, unable to watch them, kn 1 
them both, to put an end to their depredations. t « 
“ IV hi 1st I had these two young vultures in coim. 11 , 
ment, an extraordinary occurrence took place resp'' ctl j. 
an old bird of the same kind, which I cannot h” 
relating to you. This bird, sailing over the yard n'k ^ 
I was experimenting with the pole and squirrels, 
the food, and alighted on the roof of one of the 
houses, then alighted on the ground, walked direv, 
to the cage, and attempted to reach the food wiy'Is 
I approached it carefully, and it hopped off a 
rl i .'to v\ o o . n r, T .. ^i.1 .. - -1 * i i V V 1 1 | 
distance ; as I retired, it returned, \> hen always 
appearances of the strongest congratulations ^ 
take place from the young towards this new c0 (K 
I directed several young negroes to drive it j 
towards the stable, and to try to make it go in 1 ‘'j ,, 
This would not do; hut, after a short time, I help*® p 
dl’ivp if. intn that nnrf rA' Iicwn *!-»*« C0*.,. 
drive it into that part of the gin-house where the c l, n 
Ieasil -V 
seeds are deposited, and there caught it, 
covered that the bird was so emaciated, that to this 
ot poverty only I owed my success. I put it in 
the young, who both at once jumped about him, m- 1 '^ 
most extraordinary gestures of welcome; whilst^ 
old bird, quite discomfited at his confinement, 
both with great violence with his bill. " """ 
death of the young, I took them out, and fed pl'' 1111 .^ 
the old bird : his appetite had become so great tl»' a 
fasting, that he ate too much, and died of suffocaj 1 ^ 
“ I could enumerate many more instances, iudi cl * 
