scenting carrion at great distances. 257 
| lle y prepare to breed early in the month of February, 
u common with almost all the genus Falco. The most 
Jf^arkable habit attached to their life is now to be seen : 
7*«y assemble in parties of eight or ten, sometimes 
'“ore, on large fallen logs, males and females exhibiting 
strongest desire to please mutually, and forming 
^btehments by the choice of a mate by each male, that, 
’her many caresses, leads her off on the wing from the 
^Oup, neither to mix or associate with any more, 
Nil their offspring are well able to follow them in 
( ‘ air; after that, and until incubation takes place, 
iVt two weeks,) they are seen sailing side by side 
* whole day. 
“ These birds form no nest, yet are very choice 
t^Pecting the place of deposit for their two eggs. 
e p in the swamps, but always above the line of 
•"'flowing watermark, a large hollowed tree is 
?Pght, either standing or fallen, and the eggs are 
j ’typed on the mouldy particles inside; sometimes 
"‘Mediately near the entrance, at other times as much 
i” twenty feet, in. Both birds incubate alternately, and 
““til f ee d each other while sitting, by disgorging the 
"tents of the stomach, or part of them, immediately 
#,] - , 
before the bird that is sitting. Thirty-two days 
(? n — 1 1 r — V. 1 4? „4 t, tl. n wAiin iv 1 
till 
"f needed to bring forth the young from the shell ; a 
.."ck down covers them completely ; the parents, at 
;Mt - - - - - * 
early period, and, indeed, for nearly two weeks, 
n e d them, by gorging food considerably digested in 
jj’cir bill, in the manner of the common pi 
pigeons. 
The 
,' ) ' v n acquires length, becomes thinner, and of a deeper 
as the bird grows older. The young vultures, at 
Jjj'ce weeks, are large for their age, weighing then 
wards of a pound, but extremely clumsy and inactive; 
j "ablo to keep up their wings, then partly covered by 
IjV pen feathers, they drag them almost to the ground, 
l^ing their whole weight on the full length ot their 
ftnd feet. 
n“ If approached at that time by a stranger or enemy, 
'">• hiss with a noise resembling that ot a strangling 
v ol. i v R 9 
