40 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Simmons (1925) states: "Just before daybreak, when a reddish 

 glow begins to show in the eastern sky, black vultures begin to leave 

 their roosts in the mountainous country, passing over in a continuous 

 long string by ones and twos, or as many as half a dozen at a time, 

 moving eastward towards the slaughter pens or to spread out over 

 the open country and begin their tireless vigil for carcasses." They 

 return just after sunset. 



B. J. Blincoe (1922) observed an unusual flight of these birds 

 in March in Nelson County, Ky., where the black vulture is gen- 

 erally scarce at this season. The flock of 92 individuals "presented 

 a beautiful appearance as the birds soared in a spiral column, each 

 bird taking, intermittently, a few short wing strokes. At times the 

 whole flock in a long train coursed across country on set wings in 

 an orderly manner suggesting the movement of a flock of water 

 fowl, but not a bird moved a wing until they again maneuvered into 

 a spiral column." There was not a single turkey vulture among 

 them. 



J. J. Murray (1928), at Lexington, Va., found about 60 vultures 

 at a slaughter pen, and at least 40 of them, he says, were black vul- 

 tures. "As we disturbed them, they began walking in single file in 

 a long procession up a steep hillside for 200 or 300 yards, and then 

 near the top took flight." In a letter he says : "This procession was 

 not in order to reach a high place from which to take off, for many 

 of them had jumped to the ground from the top of the slaughter 

 house as the procession started." To rise from the ground in calm 

 weather it is sometimes necessary for the black vulture to hop or 

 run along for 20 or 30 feet, beating its wings violently until it is 

 able to take off. 



In cold weather these vultures often sit around chimney pots and 

 on chimneys to obtain some of the warmth. In wet weather they 

 present a most dejected appearance, with wings drawn in close to the 

 body and with back and tail in an almost vertical position. They 

 have a habit of spreading their wings and tail to dry and air when 

 the sun is shining. When alarmed or caught they eject the contents 

 of their stomachs with great quickness and power. 



In southern regions it is unnecessary to bury a dead animal to 

 prevent long pollution of the air, as in the North; the farmer merely 

 drags the carcass to a secluded spot and the vultures soon strip off 

 and consume the flesh and entrails. Around butchers' stalls and in 

 cities where offal is thrown into the street, the birds are semidomesti- 

 cated and walk around almost underfoot. Owing to these habits of 

 the black vultures in consuming carrion and offal of all sorts, the 

 danger of their spreading disease by pathogenic bacteria dropped 

 directly from the vultures' feet and plumage, or by their dejecta, has 



