Birds of Pennsylvania. 73 



Nestlings. — Bare skin of head nearly white ; body covered with white down : 

 length about 30 inches ; extent of wings about 72 inches ; wing about 25 ; tail 12 

 inches. 



Hab. — Temperate Nortli America, from New Jersey, Ohio Valley, Saskatchewan 

 region and Wasliington Territory, southward to Patagonia, casual northward on the 

 Atlantic coast to IMaine. 



This well known bird is found in Pennsylvania, particularly in the 

 southern counties, at all seasons, but during the summer months is 

 much more plentiful than at other times. The Turkey Buzzard usually 

 rears its young in woods or thickets, mostlj'^ near streams of running 

 water. It makes little or no etfort to construct a nest ; the eggs — never 

 more than two in number, and occasionally only one — are deposited, 

 generally in a slight concavity in the ground protected by shelving or 

 overhanging rocks. The eggs are yellowish white, spotted with differ- 

 ent shades of brown and purple, and measure about 2f inches in 

 length by nearly 2 inches in breadth. It is stated that this species 

 sometimes breeds in Pennsylvania as early as the last week in March. 

 I have found nine nests in Chester and Delaware counties during the 

 past five years ; of this number seven were taken late in April or 

 • early in May, and all contained fresh eggs. The two remaining nests, 

 found in June, contained downy young. I am informed that these 

 birds, in Lancaster and York counties, along the Susquehanna river, 

 are annually to be found breeding in small communities of a dozen 

 or twenty individuals. Mr. Gentry, who has frequentl}" discovered 

 them breeding in rocky caverns along the Susquehanna, remarks that 

 he has found several nests within a space of one hundred yards. This 

 bird will resort for several consecutive seasons to a favorite nesting 

 place, and occasionally when its eggs are taken will lay a second time 

 in the sam'e nest. The Turkey Vulture is very numerous in the 

 Southern States where it resides all the year, but in the Eastern 

 United States north of Pennsylvania it is said to be quite rare as a 

 resident. Two young which I took from the nest and kept in captivity 

 until full grown became exceedingly time. These birds often when 

 feeding and invariably is approached by a stranger, would utter a loud 

 hiss, the only sound which this species, as well as other of the Ameri- 

 can Vultures, is known to make. They fed chiefly on fresh "meat, 

 and also devoured with apparent relish earth-worms, crickets, grass- 

 hoppers and other large insects ; oftentimes they also eat pieces of 

 bread, cake and particles of apples or pears which were thrown before 

 them. The Turkey Buzzard, in its natural state, according to Audu- 

 bon, sucks the eggs and deveurs the young of Herons and other birds. 

 I have never known them to disturb either the eggs or young of other 

 birds, but have observed that they subsist almost wholly on carrion. 

 The benefits which these scavengers render are too well known to need 

 any comment. 



