322 Bird - Lore 



usually flies awa\', hut seldom is there a chance for one to escape from a sink- 

 hole, as the intruder is usually at the entrance before learning of his presence. 

 I have gone down in a number of these caves and have found the old birds 

 sitting on their nests. On such occasions the bird made no effort to escape, nor 

 showed any disposition to peck the offending hand that reached in under her 

 and withdrew the eggs. A few hisses of remonstrance, usually accompanied by 

 a peace-offering consisting of a portion of her last meal, which she humbly 

 laid at my feet, were the only evidences of distress any of them ever exhibited. 



The eggs are two in number and are about 2 3^ inches in length by 2 inches 

 in width. They are dull white or pale yellowish or pinkish, spotted and blotched 

 with markings of various shades of chocolate. 



The naked young are soon covered with a coat of white down, hence the old, 

 homely expression, 'Every old Buzzard thinks her young one is the whitest.' 

 From eight to ten weeks are passed in and about the nest before the young 

 are able to fly. 



An adult Turkey Buzzard is about 2^ feet from bill-tip to tail-tip, and the 

 expanse of wings measures about 6 feet. The bird weighs in the neighborhood 

 of six and a half pounds. In color its plumage is blackish brown. The head of 

 the fully adult is devoid of feathers, with a reddish or crimson skin. Its eyes 

 are brown and the bill dead white. 



A great scourge throughout the United States is hog cholera, which annu- 

 ally results in enormous losses. Certain state veterinaries and others have 

 come forward with the claim that Buzzards distribute hog cholera and there- 

 fore the birds should be killed. The claim is that the Buzzards feed on 

 hogs that have died with cholera, get the germs on their bills, feet, and 

 feathers, and, flying away, distribute the disease to other droves of swine. 

 This is probably correct. However, the Buzzard is not the only distributor of 

 cholera germs. These are carried about the place and from farm to farm on 

 men's shoes, hoofs of horses, and wagon-wheels, as well as dogs, horses, foxes, 

 opossums, and other animals, that, particularly during the hours of darkness, 

 visit carcasses and then pass on. Flies undoubtedly carry far more of the 

 anthrax germ than does our much-abused Vulture. 



Of course it has been pointed out that if the stock-raiser will burn or bury 

 the body of his hog as soon as it dies and not leave it in the open, neither the 

 Vulture nor any other animal will carry the germ, but this involves additional 

 labor on the farm, which, of course, must be avoided where possible. 



The Turkey Vulture ranges from northern Mexico to British Columbia and 

 Saskatchewan in the West, and in the East is found as far north as southern 

 New York state. It is usually a resident where found, although in the West the 

 bird retires to California, Nebraska, and the Ohio Valley at the approach of 

 winter. 



