TURKEY BUZZARD. 



303 



& 



Averaue measurements of male specimens from Florida. Length, 2(J75; stretch, GTCO; ■wins, 2rf0; tail, lO'SJ; hill, 

 1-47; tarsus, 2-37. Longe-t speeiman, 27"25; greatest extent of wing, 7200; longest wing, SS-OO: tail, tlaO; bill.200; t:ir- 

 sus, •2-7r). Shortest specimen, £4-50; smallest extent of wing, 62-00; shortest wing, £0-0(': tail, 10-4(); bill, ICO; tarsus 

 2-03. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on the tops of stumps, on logs, on ruined buildings, in hollow trees, or on tbe ground; but little orno 

 material is used. 



Eff;js, one or two in number varying from elliptical to oval in form, dirty-white or creamy in color, sp(.tted and blotched 

 irregularly, but sometimes more thickly on the larger end, with reddish-brown and umber. Dimensions from r80s2-63 

 to 1 yOx2-75. 



HABITS. 



When ore sees the Red-headed Vultures for the first time and observes their A^arious 

 aerial evolutions, now Siulin.^- high in air on motionless wings or gliding rapidly along the 

 surface of the ground, avoiding the numerous obstacles in their path, with the greatest 

 case; rising and falling with a flight so smooth that it is seldom excelled by other birds; 

 in short, performing all their movements upon the wing with the utmost grace and chi- 

 gance, I repeat, when one sees all this for the first time, he cannot help exclaiming, 

 "What magnificent birds!" Then, if not ornithologist enough to recognize the species, 

 lio turns to inquire its name of the nearest native, he will be greeted, especially if the one 

 he questions be a descendant of Ham, with a look of astoni.shment followed by a broad 

 grin, at the apparent absurdity of the interrogative, while the immediate answer is given in 

 a tone in which disgust is so very apparent as to create surprise — "Dat, why doan ycr 

 know what dat is? Dat yer is nothin but a dirty Buzzard." Although this appears to be 

 quite like slander without a just cause, one soon learns to tiike the ssime view of the case 

 and, after becoming intimately acquainted with the birds, one cannot help regarding them 

 as "nothing but dirty Buzzards," and no matter how elegant and varied are their gyra- 

 tions, one can never look upon them with quite the same adminition as he did before wit- 

 r.cssing their disgusting habits. There is no denying this charge, they are most decidedly 

 disgusting birds, not only being vile feeders on carrion but they eat it to excess, frequently 

 becoming so crammed that they are unable to move, when they ai-e obliged to disgorge a 

 portion of their ill-smelling provender before they can take flight. 



Turkey Buzzards are the greatest cowards that I ever saw among birds; when one is 

 captured, which can be readily done by employing steel traps, it never makes the slight 

 est attempt at defense, but merely hangs its head in the most abject manner, and if it has 

 been eating anything recently, will discharge the contents of its stomach at its captor's feet, 

 not because it wishes to get rid of the food but because it evidently intends to make a kind 

 of peace-offering, which too often, however, proves more highly odoriferous than accepta- 

 ble. This habit of relinquishing what they have eaten when attacked or frightened, is so 

 strong with the Turkey Buzzards that they will always vomit when wounded and I have 

 seen them do the same thing when I have been passing them as they sat on the low limb 

 of a tree. 



As a redeeming trait, however, of the Red-headed Vultures, I must say that they will 

 eat fresh meat when they can get it and I think they prefer it to carrion for they would 



42 



