Mr Audubon on the Habits of the Turkey Buzzard. 175 



becomes putrid and extremely fetid in a short time. I saw, from 

 time to time, many vultures in search of food sail over the field 

 and ravine in all directions, but none discovered the carcass, al- 

 though, during this time, several dogs had visited it, and fed 

 plentifully on it. I tried to go near it, but the smell was so in- 

 sufferable when within thirty yards, that I abandoned it, and 

 the remnants were entirely destroyed at last through natural 

 decay. 



I then took a young pig, put a knife through its neck, and 

 made it bleed on the earth and grass about the same place, and 

 having covered it closely with leaves, also watched the result. 

 The vultures saw the fresh blood, alighted about it, followed it 

 down into the ravine, discovered by the blood the pig, and de- 

 voured it, when yet quite fresh, within my sight. 



Not contented with these experiments, which I already thought 

 fully conclusive, having found two young vultures, about the 

 size of pullets, covered yet with down, and looking more like 

 quadrupeds than birds, I had them brought home and put 

 into a large coop in the yard, in the view of every body, and 

 attended to their feeding myself. I gave them a great number 

 of red-headed woodpeckers and parokeets, birds then easy to 

 procure, as they were feeding daily on the mulberry trees in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of my orphans. 



These the young vultures could tear to pieces by putting both 

 feet on the body, and applying the bill with great force. So ac- 

 customed to my going towards them were they in a few days, 

 that, when I approached the cage with hands filled with game 

 for them, they immediately began hissing and gesticulating very 

 much like young pigeons, and putting their bills towards each 

 other, as if expecting to be fed mutually, as their parent had 

 done. Two weeks elapsed ; black feathers made their appear- 

 ance, and the down diminished. I remarked an extraordinary 

 increase of their legs and bill ; and thinking them fit for trial, I 

 closed three sides of the cage with plank, leaving the front only 

 with bars for them to see through; — had the cage cleaned, 

 washed, and sanded, to remove any filth attached to it from 

 the putrid flesh that had been in it, and turned its front imme- 

 diately from the course I usually took towards it with food for 

 them. 



