254 
OBSERVATIONS ON VULTURES 
'Ilf) 
with great force, slide through its impetuous cuff® 
and reassume, above it, their elegant movements. . , 
“ The power given to them by nature of discern 1 j 
the approaching death of a wounded animal is 
remarkable. They will watch each movement ot ® 
individual thus assailed by misfortune, and folio" ' 
with keen perseverance, until the loss of life ^ 
rendered it their prey. A poor old emaciated hors®, 
ox, the deer mired on the margin of the lake, » 
the timid animal has resorted to escape flies and in ,,j| 
quitoes, so fatiguing in summer, is seen in distress " 
exultation by the buzzard. He immediately an# J 
and if the animal does not extricate itself, waits . 
gorges in peace on as much of the flesh as the r.a* . 
of the spot will allow. They do more ; they 0 |U [ 
watch the young kid, the lamb, and the pig, isp”^ 
* ’"“W 
success ; yet, notwithstanding this, they freqi* 1 ' 1 ^ 
pass over a healthy horse, hog, or other animal, v 
as if dead, basking in the 
in tile sunsbiue, without «■ j 
alteriug their course in the least. Judge, then, v 
dear sir, how well they must see. , $ 
“ Opportunities of devouring young living 
are so very frequent among large plantations 111 ^ 
country, that to deny them would he ridicn*® j 
although I have heard it attempted by Europ* 
writers. _ . A 
“ During the terrifying inundations of the Missi ssl ."L 
I have very frequently seen many of those birds iw^, 
on the dead floating bodies of animals, drowned by . 
water in the low lands, and washed by the cui' r ^ 
gorging themselves at the expense of the squatter, "m 
often loses the greater portion of his wandering 
on such occasions. 
“ Dastardly withal, and such cowards are they, 
our smaller hawks can drive them oft’ any place! ^ 
little king bird proves, indeed, a tyrant, wlienev®^ 
espies the large marauder sailing about the spot " ^ 
his dearest mate is all intent on incubation ; and 
1 
