THE TURKEY BUZZARD. 43 



structure of animals, ignorant that there are certain 

 parts in those animals admirably adapted for con- 

 traction and expansion ? and, of course, that those 

 parts are invariably softer than the other parts of 

 the bodies of scaly quadrupeds. Did his birds not 

 know, or had they forgot on that occasion, that these 

 parts are to be found, on each side of the alligator, 

 betwixt the nearly impenetrable scaly armour on the 

 back, and the equally impenetrable armour of the 

 under parts ? In a word, I am positive, if his vul- 

 tures had but been well versed in the nature of the 

 parts without, they would soon have introduced 

 themselves to the delicious banquet within, in lieu 

 of surrounding the carcass from day to day, in hope 

 deferred ; till at last solids were almost turned into 

 fluids, and the disappointed boobies found them- 

 selves under the heart-rending necessity of aban- 

 doning the alligator without breaking their fast, 

 and of going in quest of firmer carrion in some 

 other quarter. 



If our author's statement be correct, viz. that the 

 skin of a large alligator is too tough to be perforated 

 by the bills of vultures, until time shall have ren- 

 dered the carcass of the dead animal too fluid to be 

 of any use to them in the way of food, then it follows 

 that no large dead alligator can ever become the 

 food of vultures. The birds may certainly see it at 

 a great distance, and wing their way to it, and stop 

 at it ; and other vultures, miles behind them, may 

 even fancy " that they know the meaning of such 

 stoppages : " still, I am prone to opine that their 

 labours would be ill requited. In lieu of dropping 



