VULTUR, a genus of birds belonging to the order of accipitres. The beak is straight and crooked at the point; the head has no feathers; on the forepart being only naked skin; and the tongue is bifid. There are eight species. The most remarkable are,
1. The condor, which is not only the largest of this genus, but perhaps of all others which are able to fly. The accounts of authors in regard to its extent of wing are various, viz. from 9 to 18 feet, from the tip of one wing to that of the other. One gives it strength sufficient to carry off sheep, and boys of 10 years old; while another ventures to affirm, that it can lift an elephant from the ground high enough to kill it by the fall! M. de Salerne says, that one of this kind was shot in France in the year 1719, which weighed 18 lib. and whose extent of wing was 18 feet. But to come nearer the truth, perhaps it is better to abide by descriptions which bear a moderate proportion. In Hawkesworth's Voyages, mention is made of one of these birds shot at Port Desire, off Penguin Island, of which he gives the following description: "The head of this bird resembled that of an eagle, except that it had a large comb upon it. Round the neck it had a white ruff, exactly resembling a lady's tippet; the feathers on the back were as black as jet, and as bright as the finest polish could render that mineral: the legs were remarkably strong and large, and the talons like those of an eagle, except that they were not so sharp; and the wings when they were extended, measured, from point to point, no less than 12 feet." This last account seems by no means to exceed the natural size, since we have an account in the Philosophical Transactions of one of the quill-feathers of this bird, brought from Chili, which measured 12 feet 4 inches; the diameter of the quill half an inch; and the extent of wing 16 feet. This bird was met in lat. 33 south, not far from the island Mocha, in the South Sea, in the year 1691. The seamen shot it on a cliff by the sea-side; and taking it for a kind of turkey, made a meal of it. In this account we are told that the colour was black and white, like a magpie, and the crest, or comb, sharp like a razor.
It has been supposed, that these birds were peculiar to South America: but Buffon believes they are likewise inhabitants of Asia and Africa, and not unlikely of Europe also, if the laemmergeir of the Germans be the same bird, which he seems inclined to think; and that the roc, or roch, mentioned frequently in the Arabian Tales, may also prove to be the same.
Alberto Fortis, in his travels into Dalmatia in the year 1778, p. 245, says, that he measured a vulture himself, (one found near the mouth of the Cettina) whose extent of wings was above 12 feet; and in a note below says, that the sort found in the Swiss mountains, called le vautour des Alpes, is of the same race. We further learn, that the throat of the condor is naked, that is, bare of feathers, and of a red colour; the comb brown, but not indented; that in some the upper parts are variegated with black, grey, and white; and under the belly scarlet, as was that bird mentioned by M. Salerne. Mr. Buffon observes, that these birds vary in colour; which will account for the difference in the plumage by which authors have described them: which circumstance frequently happens in other birds, as well as in this species.
2. The phœnopterus, or Egyptian vultur, is thus described by Mr. Hasselquist. They light in great flocks on the lay-stalls near the city of Cairo, and there promiscuously feed, together with the dogs and other beasts, on dead carcasses and other offal. They assemble with the kites every morning and evening, in the square
called Rohnelli, below the castle (which is the place for executing capital offenders) there to receive the alms of fresh meat, left them by the legacies of wealthy great men.
The appearance of this bird is as horrid as can well be imagined, viz. the face is naked and wrinkled; the eyes are large and black; the beak black and hooked; the talons large, and extending ready for prey; and the whole body polluted with filth: these are qualities enough to make the beholder shudder with horror. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of Egypt cannot be enough thankful to Providence for this bird. All the places round Cairo are filled with the dead bodies of asses and camels; and thousands of these birds fly about, and devour the carcasses before they putrify and fill the air with noxious exhalations. The inhabitants of Egypt, and after them Maillet in his Description of Egypt, say, that they yearly follow the caravan to Mecca, and devour the filth of the slaughtered beasts, and the carcasses of the camels which die on the journey; but we were not eye-witnesses of this. They do not fly high, nor are they afraid of men. If one is killed, all the rest surround him in the same manner as do the royston-crows; they do not quit the places they frequent though frightened by the explosion of a gun, but immediately return thither. Maillet imagines this bird to be the ibis of the ancients: but it is scarcely to be imagined, that a wise nation should pay such honours to an unclean, impure, and rapacious bird, which was not perhaps so common before the Egyptians filled the streets with carcasses. If the ibis is to be found, it must certainly be looked for in the ordo of grallæ of Linnaeus; and we imagine it to be the white stork, (Ardea ciconia), which is so common in Egypt. The Arabians call it rochane; the French living in Egypt, give it the name of chapon de Pharaon, or de Mahomet.
3. The aura, or carrion vulture, according to Mr. Latham, is about the size of a turkey, though it varies in size in different parts. The bill is white; the end black; irides blueish saffron-colour. The head, and part of the neck, are bare of feathers; and of a red, or rather rufous colour. The sides of the head warded, not unlike that of a turkey. The whole plumage is brown black, with a purple and green gloss in different reflections; but in some birds, especially young ones, greatly verging to dirty brown. The feathers of the quills and tail are blacker than the rest of the body. The legs are flesh-colour; the claws black.
This bird is very common in the West Indies, and both North and South America. It feeds on dead carcasses, snakes, &c. like most of this genus; which makes the smell of it very offensive. In general, it is very tame in its wild state; but particularly so, when trained up from being young. This our author experienced in two birds sent home from Jamaica. They were suffered to run wild about the garden, and were alert and brisk during the summer months: but impatient of the least cold; for a rainy day, with the slightest degree of cold, obliged them to creep for shelter. In the West Indies they roost together of nights, in vast numbers, like rooks in this country. They are reckoned a most useful animal in the places where they resort; which secures their safety, added to a penalty for killing one, which is in force in Jamaica and other islands of the West Indies.
4. The sagittarius, or secretary, is a most singular species, being particularly remarkable from the great length of its legs; which at first sight would induce one to think it belonged to waders: but the characters of the vulture are so strongly marked throughout, as to leave no doubt to which class it belongs.
The bird, when standing erect, is full three feet from the top of the head to the ground. The bill is black, sharp, and crooked, like that of an eagle; the head, neck, breast, and upper parts of the body, are of a blueish ash colour: the legs are very long, stouter than those of a heron, and of a brown colour; claws shortish, but crooked, not very sharp, and of a black colour; from the hind-head springs a number of long feathers, which hang loose behind like a pendent crest; these feathers arise by pairs, and are longer as they are lower down on the neck; this crest the bird can erect or depress at pleasure; it is of a dark colour, almost black; the webs are equal on both sides, and rather curled; and the feathers, when erected, somewhat incline towards the neck; the two middle feathers of the tail twice as long as any of the rest.
This singular species inhabits the internal parts of Africa, and is frequently seen at the Cape of Good Hope. It is also met with in the Philippine islands.
The description was taken by Mr Latham from three that were alike, which he saw in England alive, some years since; two of which are now in the Leverian museum. From confinement, they had lost their two long tail-feathers; but this want was supplied by some accurate drawings by Mr Banks, taken from the life at the Cape.
As to the manners of this bird, it is on all hands allowed that it principally feeds on rats, lizards, snakes, and the like; and that it will become familiar: whence Sonnerat is of opinion that it might be made useful in some of our colonies, if encouraged, towards the destruction of those pests. They call it at the Cape of Good Hope, slangeater, i. e. snake-eater. A great peculiarity belongs to it, perhaps observed in no other;
which is, the faculty of striking forwards with its legs, never backwards. Dr Solander has seen one of these birds take up a snake, small tortoise, or such like, in its claws; when dashing it from thence against the ground with great violence, if the victim was not killed at first, it repeated the operation till that end was answered; after which it ate it up quietly. Dr J. R. Forster mentioned a further circumstance, which he says was supposed to be peculiar to this bird; that should it by any accident break the leg, the bone would never unite again.