Mr Audubon on the Habits qftke Turlcey Buzzard. 18S 



two days are needed to bring forth the young from the shell, 

 — a thick down covers them completely, — the parents at that 

 early period, and indeed for nearly two weeks, feed them, by 

 gorging food considerably digested in their bill, in the manner 

 of the common pigeons ; — the down acquires length ; becomes 

 thinner, and of a deeper tint as the bird grows older. The 

 young vultures at three weeks are large for their age, weighing 

 then upwards of a pound, but extremely clumsy and inactive ; 

 unable to keep up their wings, then partly covered by large pen 

 feathers, drag them almost to the ground, bearing their whole 

 weight on the full length of their legs and feet. 



If approached at that time by a stranger or enemy, they hiss 

 with a noise resembling that made by a strangling cat or fox, 

 swell themselves, and hop side-ways as fast as in their power. 



The parents whilst sitting, and equally disturbed, act in the 

 same manner — fly only a very short distance, waiting there the 

 departure of the offender to reassume their duty. As the young 

 grows larger, the parents throw their food merely before them, 

 and, with all their exertions, seldom bring their offspring fat to 

 the field. Their nests become so fetid before the final depar- 

 ture of the young birds, that a person forced to remain there 

 half an hour must almost be suffocated. 



I have been frequently told that the same pair will not aban- 

 don their first nests or place of deposit, unless broken up during 

 incubation. This would attach to the vulture a constancy of 

 affection that I cannot believe exists, as I do not beheve that 

 pairing in the manner described is of any longer duration than 

 the necessitous call of nature for the one season ; and^ again, 

 were they so inclined, they would never congregate in the man- 

 ner they do, but would go in single pairs all their lives like 

 eagles. 



Vultures do not possess in any degree the power of bearing off 

 their prey as falcons do, unless it be slender portions of entrails 

 hanging by the bill. When chased by others from a carcase, it 

 even renders them very awkward in their flight, and forces 

 them to the earth again almost immediately. 



Many persons in Europe believe that buzzards prefer putrid 

 flesh to any other. This is a mistake. Any flesh that they can 

 at once tear with their very powerful bill in pieces, is swallowed, 



