THE TURKEY VULTURE. 163 



that in iVi-izoiiM, durino- tlie hot summers, these liirds generally kept their wintrs 

 partly 02)en, botli when perchiny on trees or aligliting on a carcass, giving them 

 an extremely drowsy appearance. 



The young when first hatched are covered with soft, white down, and the 

 nesting sites are not always the filthy places described by many observers. 



On July 12, 1883, I found, near the Klamath Indian Agency, a nest con- 

 taining two young, perhaps a week old, in a cavity of rocks that was quite 

 clean, and there was scarcely any disagreeable odor perceptible aljout it. The 

 young were sitting on the bare ground and made a slight hissing sound when 

 touched. They are fed in the same manner as young Pigeons, the parents 

 disgorging food into the mouths of the young. 



In most of the Southern States nidification begins usually about the latter 

 part of March, occasionally even in February; in the Middle States generally 

 about the last week in April or the beginning of May, and in the more 

 northern portions of its range it may be protracted till June, according to 

 the season. 



Capt. B. F. Goss writes me: "I have found this species nesting in Kansas, 

 in caverns and crevices of rock, in hollow trees, and on the ground in hollows of 

 old logs. In Texas I found a large mimber of nests, one in an old Heron's nest, 

 one on a cactus about 3 feet from the ground, the rest all on the ground under 

 thorny shrubs. They make little or no nest; I have foiuid eggs lying on the 

 bare I'ock. They sit pretty close, Ijut on near approach will leave the nest if 

 the way is open, but if confined in a cavern or hollow log, will often refuse to 

 move, and if disturbed will disgorge the foul contents of their stomachs, when 

 the intruder will be glad enough to Ijeat a retreat. While rearing their young 

 the nest is always foul and sometimes the stench is unbearable. In southern 

 Texas I found eg'gs as early as February 15, and up to May 2. In a single 

 instance I found three eggs in a nest; this was placed on the ground under a 

 bunch of thick bushes." 



Mr. P. W. Smith, jr., found a nest of this species, which also contained 

 three eggs, near Greenville, Illinois, and four young are rect^irded to have 

 been found in the same nest by W. W. Edwards, near Abbeville, Louisiana.^ 



Mr. Lynds Jones writes me from Grinnell, Iowa; "I once started a Tur- 

 key Buzzard from her nest, and found among the matter tin-own up mice 

 and pieces of a skunk, e\'idently very recently killed. 



"The nesting site was a hollow stump, resorted to year after year, until 

 it fell to pieces from old age. At the time I flushed the bird no others were 

 anywhere in sight, but very soon six others can;e at the summons of the 

 female. When they alighted, their wings remained spread. The only sound 

 thev made was a peculiar choking, hissing noise, as they sailed past me 

 about a rod away. The eggs were deposited on the punk at the bottom of 

 the stump, with no attempt at a nest." 



'Ornithologist and Oiilogist, Vol. x, I8e5, No. 5, p. 80. 



