. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . other. Round the base ofthe neck passes a broad ruff of soft downy feathers of adeep ashy grey; the whole under surface is white, withan occasional tinge of flesh colour; the back and tail coverts,are of a bright fawn, which becomes lighter and lighter as the bird advances in age; and the quill feathers of thewings and tail, together with the larger coverts of the for-mer, are glossy black. The sight of these birds is wide and pie
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . other. Round the base ofthe neck passes a broad ruff of soft downy feathers of adeep ashy grey; the whole under surface is white, withan occasional tinge of flesh colour; the back and tail coverts,are of a bright fawn, which becomes lighter and lighter as the bird advances in age; and the quill feathers of thewings and tail, together with the larger coverts of the for-mer, are glossy black. The sight of these birds is wide and piercing, their senseof smell highly developed, and their strength of wing suf-ficient to carry them to a great height, and to continue theirflight for hours together. They endure the pangs of hun-ger with extraordinary patience; and never attack thesmallest bird, or the most feeble quadruped while it has 208 KING OF THE VULTURES. life. In walking, their gait is slow and heavy, and their bodyis maintained in a horizontal position. When about tomount into the air, they are compelled to take several leapsbefore they can accomplish the purpose, and quit the ground. with some little difficulty. The odour of their flesh is precise-ly the same with that of the carrion on which they feed, andeven the skins retam it for many years. Contrary to thehabits of their family in general, they perch on the tallesttrees, living solitary or in pairs, building their nests, as it issaid, in the hollows of the trunks and laying only two are little inclined to become familiar with man, buton the contrary avoid his habitations and betake themselvesevery where to the interior and unfrequented parts of thecountry. In a deficiency of carrion, they feed upon snakes THE SECRETARY VULTURE. 209 and lizards, and during the summer subsist in a great mea-sure upon the putrid fish of the lakes that are dried upby the parching heat of the sun. The range of this fine species of Vulture is rather ex-tensive
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
