CONDOR. 11 
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as well as savage life always looks to his own advantage, and 
does not disdain to make use of those for whom he cannot 
help feeling contempt. Besides their usefulness during life, the 
Vultures have an additional security in their utter uselessness 
when dead. In consequence of their food their body exhales a 
disgusting effluvium, and their flesh is so rank, stringy, and 
unsavoury, that nothing short of absolute famine can bring any 
one to taste of it. No skill nor precautions in cooking can 
overcome its natural bad odour, which prevails over the most 
powerful spices. But though not eatable themselves, they excel 
in picking clean to the very bones the carrion they feed upon, 
leaving them as bare as if they had been carefully scraped. 
With this food they gorge themselves to such a degree as to be 
incapable of flight, and hardly able to move for some time, and 
then allow of a very close approach. In fact their indolence, 
filthiness, and voracity, are almost incredible. 
They are birds of slow flight at all times, and raise themselves 
from the ground with difficulty, though when surprised and closely 
pursued after overfeeding, when they are almost helpless, they 
can lighten themselves by vomiting up their superfluous meal, 
sometimes to the great annoyance of the pursuer, and then at 
once take flight. Their sight is exceedingly keen, and is only 
\* . ..'“V , 
inferior in power to their sense of smelling, which enables them 
to discover their peculiar food at great and incredible distances. 
They are dull and heavy, fond of assembling in flocks upon trees, 
where they may be seen perched for hours together, sitting with 
their wings open as if ventilating their plumage. They walk with 
the body inclined forward, the wings drooping, the tail brushing 
the ground. When they wish to take flight, they are obliged to 
run a few paces, and then contract the body violently. Their 
flight, though slow, is protracted for a greater length of time than 
even perhaps that of the Eagle, though more laborious and heavy. 
