Ill Omen?

Washingtonians, a superstitious breed, are uneasy. For the past three weeks a vulture with an 8 ft. wingspan has been circling the nation's capital.

An African griffon that escaped from the National Zoo, the male vulture has eluded all attempts of capture. Though zoo officials insist that his tastes run to large dead rats and not small live children, wary citizens are not amused. The real worry is over the country's image. So far, the big bird has confined his flight pattern to the northwest section of the city where he often perches atop the National Cathedral like a gargoyle. Imagine the photographs in every newspaper in the world if he settled down to brood atop the Capitol dome or on the White House roof.

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