Retrospective Criticism. 163 



I am still of decided opinion that this bird ought not to be 

 considered gregarious. 



Wilson was never in Guiana. As for Humboldt, I cannot 

 think of submitting to his testimony, in matters of ornithology, 

 for one single moment. The avocations of this traveller were 

 of too multiplied a nature to enable him to be a correct 

 practical ornithologist. Azara is totally unknown to me. 



I have read Mr. Audubon's paper very attentively, " and 

 upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and 

 trying them at home, upon an exact scale," 'tis out, my lord, 

 in every one of its dimensions. — Charles Waterton. Walton 

 Hall, Jan. 9. 1833. 



Remarks on Mr. Audubon 1 s " Account of the Habits of the 

 Turkey Buzzard (V/dtur Aura), particularly with the View of 

 exploding the Opinion generally entertained of its extraordina?y 

 Powers of Smelling. (See Jameson's Philosophical Journal for 

 October and December, 1826.) — After some preliminary 

 observations, the author says, ¥ When I visited the Southern 

 States, and had lived, as it were, amongst these vultures for 

 several years, and discovered, thousands of times, that they 

 did not smell me when I approached them covered by a tree, 

 until within a few feet; and that, when, so near, or at a greater 

 distance, I showed myself to them, they instantly flew away 

 much frightened, the idea evaporated, and I assiduously 

 engaged in a series of experiments to prove, to myself at 

 least, how far the acuteness of smell existed, if it existed 

 at all." 



Here the author wishes to prove to us, through the medium 

 of his own immediate person, that the vulture is but poorly off 

 for nose ; but he has left the matter short, on two essential 

 points. First, he has told us nothing of the absolute state of 

 his own person, at the actual time he approached the vultures ; 

 and, secondly, he is silent as to the precise position of his 

 own person, with regard to the wind. This neglect renders 

 his experiment unsatisfactory. If, on his drawing near to 

 the birds, no particular effluvium or strong smell proceeded 

 from his person, it is not to be expected that they could 

 smell him. De nihilo nihilum, in nihilum nil posse reverti 

 [nothing can come from nothing, nor can anything be 

 changed into nothing], as the old saying is. If, again, he 

 had a smell about him, and he happened to be to leeward as 

 he approached the vultures, their olfactory nerves could not 

 possibly have been roused to action by it, although he had 

 been Gorgonius himself (Gorgonius hircum), for every 

 particle of smell from his person would have been carried 

 down the gale, in a contrary direction to the birds. 



m 2 



