great use throughout the whole centre of
South America, as also in the northern continent. Disgusting as are its
habits and appearance, it is carefully protected, on account of the
service it renders to mankind.

It may easily be distinguished from the turkey-buzzard, which it greatly
resembles, by the shape of the feathers round its neck, which descend
from the back of the head towards the throat in a sloping direction;
whereas those of the turkey-buzzard form a ring round the throat. Its
general colour is a dull black. The head and part of the neck are
destitute of feathers, wrinkled, and sprinkled with a few black hairs.
The throat is of a yellowish tint.

It flies high, sweeping through the air with a beautifully easy motion,
and is generally found in the neighbourhood of fresh-water.

The black vultures are gregarious, brought together apparently by the
pleasure they seem to have in society rather than by the attraction of a
common prey. Darwin describes seeing flocks of them on a fine day at a
great height, each bird wheeling round and round without closing its
wings, and performing the most graceful evolutions.

THE TURKEY-BUZZARD.

The turkey-buzzard (Cathartes ora) is similar in its habits to the black
vulture, and is frequently mistaken for it. It is seldom found
southward of latitude 41 degrees. Of late years, however, they have
become numerous in the Valley of the Colorado, three hundred miles
further south. It is not found on the desert and arid plains of
Northern Patagonia, except near some stream; and it is supposed not to
have passed into Chili, although in Peru it exists in great numbers,
where it is preserved to act the part of a scavenger.

It is a solitary bird, and goes in pairs; and may at once be recognised
at a distance, from its lofty soaring and most elegant flight. It
ranges from North America to Cape Horn.

Such are some of the more notable members of the feathered tribes
inhabiting the Valley of the Amazon. There are numberless others,--both
land and water birds,--a description of which would occupy too much
space, some of them also being common to other parts of the world.
Several, likewise, are seen more frequently either in Venezuela and
Guiana, or in the La Plata region, and will be noticed when we visit
those countries.

From the Birds, then, we will pass on to the Reptiles and Insects of
South America; in which, as to number and the variety of their forms and
habits