204* MEMOIR OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 



remain a doubt in any mind, of his eminence in ornithological science, 

 delineation, and description. 



Before concluding this Biographical Sketch, it is proper to refer to 

 one sort of charge that has by some been very industriously made, to 

 the disadvantage of Mr. Audubon. His veracity has been assailed. 

 It has been presumed by those who had no means of forming a de- 

 cided opinion for themselves, that lie has frequently given way to a 

 practice, which travellers, and American wonder-tellers, as much as 

 any, are supposed to indulge in. On some points there has been 

 something like a paper war, where our ornithologist's name had to 

 stand in the breach between the hostile parties. It is believed, indeed, 

 that he himself does not evince extreme solicitude about this attack — 

 a system of conduct which not only intimates that he is a man of su- 

 perior prudence, but which is strongly presumptive of his honour and 

 credibility. 



It is unphilosophical,itis unmanly, to found such serious allegations 

 as now alluded to, upon ignorance, or in the absence of evidence on 

 the subject of dispute. At the same time, any assailants are very likely 

 to be covered with shame, in the case of random accusations. For 

 example, it seems that Audubon had long suspected that birds, which, 

 like the Black Vulture, feed on carrion, were guided to their ban- 

 quet by the sense of sight and not of smell; in fact, that the latter 

 sense was wanting, or defective ; a defect, considering the diet of such 

 creatures, which would be rather a blessing than a privation. It had 

 been before remarked that birds in India, of the kinds concerned, 

 move directly to their prey, though the wind bears the fragrance in an 

 opposite direction. The experiments instituted by our naturalist con- 

 firmed him in his former supposition, which he disclosed in the Edin- 

 burgh Philosophical Journal. Hence a warfare between the eyes 

 and the nose took its rise — the advocates of the latter charging Audu- 

 bon with a want of veracity, merely because the conclusions which 

 he drew from what he considered to be facts,were contrary to their con- 

 clusions. The question, however, was at length completely set at rest 

 by some of his friends, who instituted a series of observations and ex- 

 periments which have fully established that the vultures do not de- 

 pend upon the sense of smell in searching for their food ; and in op- 

 position to those who considered these birds epicures, it has been 

 shewn, that it was a matter of indifference to them whether their meal 

 was fresh, or in the early or latter stages of decay. 



It is pleasant to know that it has not been thought beneath the 

 dignity of scientific inquiry, to have for its object the removal of a 

 calumny against a good man's reputation ; and while we wish that he 

 may long enjoy life and health, to the extendsion of the boundaries of 

 science, we confidently hope and believe that his name will descend 

 to posterity, as that of one of the most illustrious naturalists of the 

 present day, without a stain upon it. 



