196 Audnboiia Birds of Amei'ica, 



in flocks. The nests of the Barn owl, the Canada Groiis, the 

 Willow Partridge, the Goshawk, the Mississippi Kite, the Fish 

 Crow, the Rusty Grakle, the Tree and Fox-coloured Sparrows, 

 the Pine Swamps, Black Poll and Hemlock Warblers, and the 

 Pigeons of the Florida^, have not before been described, at least 

 by any American writer. The migrations of numerous species 

 have been traced to their northern limits ; and, in short, much 

 has been added to our knowledge of the hundred and one species 

 of birds described in the volume. 



The alleged dulness of the olfactory nerves of the carrion 

 crow and turkey buzzard, the two vultures of the United States, 

 which has brought upon Mr Audubon so much virulent and un- 

 ornithological abuse, has been most satisfactorily established by 

 experiments instituted by respectable persons in Charleston, and 

 the taste which these birds have for fresh as well as for putrid 

 flesh, which was also obstinately denied, has been testified by Dr 

 Strobel and a number of planters. It will be recollected that 

 the veracity of Audubon was absurdly considered as implicated 

 in this matter. If it should still be doubted by any caviller, so 

 must that of the most respectable individuals, who have sub- 

 scribed their names to the declaration, that " having witnessed 

 the experiments made on the habits of the vultures of Carolina, 

 commonly called turkey buzzard and carrion crow," they '• feel 

 assured that they devour fresh as well as putrid food of any 

 kind, and that they are guided to their food altogether through 

 their sense of sight, and not that of smell.'" Even were the facts 

 not proved, would it not be worse than absurd to assume the 

 assertion of them as an instance of willing falsehood, and to pro- 

 nounce the whole of Audubon's observations unworthy of credit, 

 because his experiments on this subject were conceived to be 

 liable to objection ? Was Linnaeus refused credit, because he 

 alleged that swallows go under water? And is Audubon to be 

 held up as an impostor, because he instituted experiments on the 

 power of smelling in vultures, which experiments have been re- 

 peated by trust- worthy persons, and found to produce precisely 

 the same results. O candour, whither hast thou fled ? — surely 

 not to Walton Hall. 



The manners of the pinnated grous, Tetrao Cupido, which 

 were before but imperfectly known, have been fully described. 



