'288 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



canine brethren, a slight growl or a vicious snap would 

 cause them to step aside, and they, nothing daunted, would 

 feed aw r ay again, utterly oblivious of their whereabouts and 

 surroundings. 



Although their sense of sight is rather keenly developed, 

 yet the sense of smell is none the less so. Both the visual 

 and olfactory organs are called into requisition in determin- 

 ing the presence of refuse matters. As a proof that smell 

 leads to food- detection, we cannot do better than to cite an 

 instance mentioned by Dr. Hill, and given by Dr. Brewer in 

 the work entitled "North American Birds." lie mentions 

 a case where these birds were attracted to the house of a 

 German emigrant who was prostrated by fever, bv the 

 strong odor escaping from his neglected food which had be- 

 come putrid. Mr. G. C. Taylor, whilst a resident of Kings- 

 ton, sufficiently tested their power of smell. Once, he 

 wrapped in a piece of paper the carcass of a bird, which he 

 flung into the summit of a densely leaved tree, in close prox- 

 imity to his window. A moment or two elapsed, when the 

 keen smell of these birds scented the presence of something 

 edible, but they were unable to solve the problem, by reason 

 of the object being concealed from view by an enveloping 

 paper. 



The food of this Vulture consists generally of all kinds 

 of animal food. Auclubon accuses them of egg-sucking, 

 and also of eating the young of Herons, as well as those 

 of other birds. In Trinidad, they are said to live on the 

 most friendly terms with the poultry among which they 

 consort. We have never known them to molest in any 

 way whatever the eggs and young of birds. Whilst feed- 

 ing, particularly when several are together, the most violent 

 wrangling and the utmost commotion occur. Each strives 

 to get the lion's share. After swallowing his morsel in a 

 rather hurried manner, he makes a raid upon his neighbor's 

 voluminous booty before he has had time to dispatch it, 

 and if possessed of superior strength, succeeds after a time 



