202 SENSORIAL FUNCTIONS. 



Duck, Fig. 119, with the olfactories laid bare. They 

 pass out of the orbit of the eye, o, in two large branches, 



Fig. 119. 



an upper one, u, and a lower one, Z, the branches of 

 each being spread over the contiguous parts, both with- 

 in and without, being merely protected by the surface, 

 except at the extremity of the beak, where there is a 

 horny process, p, for this purpose. 



Audubon's Experiments on the olfactory powers of Vul- 

 tures. It is the common opinion that vultures, and oth- 

 er birds of prey have the power of smell so acute that 

 they can discover by this means, the effluvia of a carcass 

 at great distances. But it now appears from the obser- 

 vations and experiments of that celebrated ornithologist, 

 Mr. Audubon, that these birds in reality possess this 

 sense in a degree far inferior to many of the carnivorous 

 quadrupeds ; and that so far from guiding them to their 

 prey, at a great distance, it is hardly sufficient to indi- 

 cate its presence when near at hand. 



The following experiments appear satisfactory on this 

 subject. Having procured the skin of a deer, Mr. Au- 

 dubon stuffed it full of hay, and after the whole had 

 become completely dry and hard, so as to emit no smell, 

 he placed it in the middle of an open field, laying it on 

 the back, in the posture of a dead animal. In the course 

 of a few minutes he saw a vulture approaching for a 

 feast ; and quite unsuspicious of the deception, began 

 the attack as usual, in the most vulnerable part. But 

 finding nothing to his taste, it next, with much exertion 

 tore open the seams of the skin, appearing earnestly 

 intent on getting at the flesh, which he expected to find 



