142 
THE VULTURE. 
alighted, and then extended one of its wings, which 
it kept in continual motion. Soon after this, the 
observer saw a large snake raise its head to a con- 
siderable distance from the ground, which seemed to 
be what the bird was expecting, and waiting for* at 
the moment the snake reared its head, he instantly 
struck a sharp blow with the end of his wing, by 
which the snake was knocked flat on the ground. 
The bird, however, did not appear confident of having 
slain his enemy, or gained the victory, hut kept its 
eye fixed on the reptile for a short time, when the 
snake reviving again, lifted up its head, and the bird, 
as before, repeated his blow; after this second blow 
he appeared to gain more confidence ; for, almost the 
moment it was inflicted, he marched boldly up and 
struck at the snake with his feet ; after which, finding 
it disabled, though not quite dead, he rose almost 
perpendicularly to a very great height, when he let it 
drop, and as it fell with great violence to the ground, 
he seemed satisfied that there was no more danger 
to he feared, and accordingly he followed it to the 
earth, and commenced his hardly-earned meal. 
Vultures are chiefly natives of the hotter regions 
of the globe, such as South America, Africa, and 
other similar warm climates. Some sorts are, how- 
ever, not uncommon in the southern parts of 
Europe ; and even in England, a few have been seen 
and killed. In June, 1826, near Bridgewater, in 
Somersetshire, a strange unknown bird was observed 
walking on a road, which on being pursued, flew 
about a mile towards the sea, and alighted on the 
beach, where it was shot. It had just been gorging 
itself with a putrid lamb, which was most likely the 
