eight or ten feet high, the vultures will seldom discover
it. I have frequently known the bodies of
large animals, such as elephants and buffaloes, to lie
for days beneath the shade of the dense nabbuk
bushes, unattended by a single vulture; whereas, if
visible, they would have been visited by these birds
in thousands.
Vultures and the Marabou stork fly at enormous
altitudes. I believe that every species keeps to its
own particular elevation, and that the atmosphere
contains regular strata of birds of prey, who, invisible
to the human eye .at their enormous height, are constantly
resting upon their wide-spread wings, and
soaring in circles, watching with telescopic sight the
world beneath. At that great elevation they are. in
an exceedingly cool temperature, therefore they require
no water; but some birds that make long flights
over arid deserts, such as the Marabou stork, and the
bustard, are provided with water-sacks; the former in
an external bag a little below the throat, the latter
in an internal sack, both of which carry a large
supply. As the birds of prey that I have enumerated,
invariably appear at a carcase in their regular succession,
I can only suggest that they travel from different
distances or altitudes. Thus, the Marabou
stork would be farthest from the earth ; the large
bare-necked vulture would be the next below him,
followed by the red-faced vulture, the buzzard, and
the crow that is generally ahout the surface. From
their immense elevation, the birds of prey possess an
extraordinary field of vision; and, although they are
invisible from the earth, there can be no doubt that
they are perpetually hunting in circles within sight of'
each other. Thus, should one bird discover some
object upon the surface of the earth below,, his
sudden pounce would be at once observed and imitated
by every vulture in succession. Should one vulture
nearest the earth perceive a body, or even should
he notice the buzzards collecting at a given point, he
would at once become aware of a prey; his rush
towards the spot would act like a telegraphic signal
to others, that would be rapidly communicated to
every vulture at successive airy stations.
If an animal be skinned, the red surface will attract,
the vultures in an instant; this proves that their sight,
and not their scent, has been attracted by an object
that suggests blood. I have frequently watched them
when I have shot an animal, and my people have
commenced the process of skinning. At first, not a
bird has been in sight, as I have lain on my back and
gazed into the spotless blue sky; but hardly has the
skin been half withdrawn, than specks have appeared
in the heavens, rapidly increasing. “ Caw, caw,” has.
been heard several times from the neighbouring
bushes; the buzzards have swept down close to my
people, and have snatched a morsel of clotted blood
from the ground. The specks have increased to-
winged creatures, at the great height resembling flies,
when presently a rushing sound behind me, like a.
whirlwind, has been followed by the pounce of a red