“I do not recollect an instance of its so doing,” said Uncle Thomas, “and indeed its sluggish inactive flight in some measure unfits it for procuring its food in this way, though I dare say they sometimes find it necessary to exert themselves. But they have been gifted by Nature with a power which supplies the place of activity; their extraordinary strength of vision, enabling them to perceive their prey at a distance of many miles. On one occasion, a hunting party in India killed a large Hog, and left it on the ground near their tent. In about an hour afterwards some of the party happening to be walking near the spot where it lay, the sky being perfectly clear, their attention was attracted by a dark spot in the air at a great distance. As they looked at it, it appeared to increase in size, and to move directly towards them. It proved to be a vulture flying in a direct line towards the dead Hog. In an hour seventy others came in all directions.” “How did they all get notice about the dead Hog?” asked Mary. “That is a question which I cannot answer,” said Uncle Thomas. “It appears quite inexplicable, except on the principle of the watchful care of God over every living creature. The particular means by which it is accomplished, however, I cannot explain. It has frequently been observed that in crossing the wide-spreading deserts of Africa, where there is neither food nor shelter to be obtained, and consequently there is no temptation to the Vulture frequently to survey it, should a camel or other beast of burden belonging to the caravans which cross these inhospitable deserts drop down, a very short time elapses before numbers of vultures are seen approaching in all directions, and from such distances that when first observed they seem but so many specks in the sky. “Feeding, as the Vultures do,” continued Uncle Thomas, “at uncertain intervals, when they do happen to fall in with a prey, they gorge themselves to such a degree as to make themselves quite unable to fly. The natives of South America avail themselves of this voracity to catch the Condor—the Vulture of that country. They expose the carcass of a dead Horse or Cow, which soon attracts plenty of Condors. They allow them to feed heartily, and when they have completely gorged themselves, they approach and throw a noose over their heads, and thus secure them.