28 BLACK VULTURE. 



than the rest; the legs are of a dirty limy white, three inches 

 and a half in length, and, with the feet, are thick and strong; the 

 middle toe, including the claw, is four inches long, side toes 

 two inches, and connected to the middle as far as the first joint; 

 inner toe rather the shortest; hind toe pointing inward; claws 

 strong, but not sharp like those of the Falco genus, middle claw 

 three quarters of an inch long; the stomach is not lined with 

 hair as reported. When opened, this bird smells strongly of 

 musk, so much so as to be quite offensive. Sexes nearly alike. 



Mr. Abbot informs me that the Carrion-crow builds its nest 

 in the large trees of the low wet swamps, to which places they 

 retire every evening to roost. "They frequent," says he, 

 " that part of the town of Savannah where the hog-butchers 

 reside, and walk about the streets, in great numbers, like do- 

 mestic fowls. It is diverting to see, when the entrails and offals 

 of the hogs are thrown to them, with what greediness they 

 scramble for the food, seizing upon it, and pulling one against 

 another until the strongest prevails. The Turkey-buzzard is 

 accused of killing young lambs and pigs, by picking out their 

 eyes, but I believe that the Carrion-crow is not guilty of the 

 like practices." When taken alive, this bird bites excessively 

 hard, and its bill, which is very sharp on its edges, is capable 

 of inflicting severe wounds, as I myself experienced. 



It is really 'astonishing that the European naturalists should 

 so long have overlooked the difference which there is between 

 this species and the Turkey-buzzard, in their external conform- 

 ation. Their heads are differently shaped; their bills and nos- 

 trils are considerably unlike; and the arrangement of the neck 

 plumage is entirely dissimilar, as our figures will show. The 

 Turkey-buzzard's neck, along the oesophagus, as far as the breast 

 bone, is bare of feathers, though this nakedness is concealed by 

 the adjacent plumage; the same part in the Carrion-crow is 

 completely clothed. The down of both species has the same 

 cottony appearance. 



