THE VULTURE. 159

This species flies with great strength and rapidity: speci-
mens have occasionally been found in the British Isles.

The Griffon Vulture (Vultur fulvus, Plate X.) inhabits
the mountainous districts of the north of Europe, Silesia,
Dalmatia, Spain, the Tyrol, the Alps, Pyrenees, Turkey,
and the Grecian Archipelago, also Persia and Africa. Its
nest is usually placed on high and inaccessible rocks, or
very lofty trees. In length it is about three feet, with an
expanse of wing measuring eight or nine. The colour is a
deep reddish-grey, with the quill feathers and tail black ;
the head and neck are not quite bare, but are covered with
a short down, and the ruff is pure white. These birds can
descry a carcase at an extraordinary distance, whether by
scent or sight is not quite ascertained; Job evidently
ascribed it to the latter, as he says, “There is a path
which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath
not seen.”

The vulture is mentioned in the 11th chapter of Levi-
ticus, amongst those fowls which the Hebrews were for-
bidden to use as food; all of which are of those species
not eaten in the present day, probably from their habits
being carnivorous, which renders the flesh less proper for
hat purpose. Hasselquist, a pupil of Linneus, mentions