THE SENSE OF SMELL IN BIRDS 627 
Audubon quotes some experiments by Bachman from Loudon’s 
Magazine of Natural History, 1838, as follows: 
1. A dead hare, two dead birds, and a wheelbarrow full of 
offal from a slaughter house were deposited on the ground at the 
foot of Bachman’s garden in South Carolina. A frame was raised 
above the pile at a distance of twelve inches from the ground, 
and this was covered with brush, allowing air to pass under freely. 
Though hundreds of vultures passed over in the next twenty- 
five days, none noticed the meat. 
2. A coarse painting on canvas of a sheep skinned and cut open 
was placed on the ground, where it was noticed: by vultures. 
They walked over the painting and tugged at it with their beaks. 
The painting was then placed within fifteen feet of the offal 
mentioned above, but the offal was not touched. 
3. The most offensive portions of the offal were next placed 
on the ground, and these were covered by a thin canvas cloth on 
which were strewn several pieces of fresh beef. Vultures came and 
ate the beef, but they did not discover the offal beneath the can- 
vas. A rent was then made in the canvas, whereupon the offal 
below was seen and eaten. 
Negative results were also obtained by Darwin (’34), pp. 184— 
186), who experimented with a number of condors in a garden 
at Valparaiso, Chili. In his account Darwin says: 
The condors were tied, each by a rope, in a long row at the bottom 
of a wall and having folded up a piece of meat in a white paper, I walked 
backwards and forwards, carrying it in my hand at the distance of 
about three yards from them, but no notice was taken. I then threw 
it on the ground, within one yard of an old bird; he looked at it-for a 
moment with attention but then regarded it no more. With a stick 
I pushed it closer and closer, until at last he touched it with his beak; 
the paper was then instantly torn off with fury, and at the same moment, 
every bird in the long row began struggling and flapping its wings. 
Darwin did not state whether the meat used in this experiment 
was entirely concealed by the wrapping paper until the package 
was torn open, nor did he indicate the opportunity for an odor 
to escape from the package. One is warranted in inferring from 
the account that the meat was detected before it was exposed to 
