13H 



down.y .v()ll^J,^ 1 ;iin iiifuriiicd that tlu'se birds, in 

 I^Kuciistci- and ^urk cimiilies, aloug tlu' !r>us(iueliHiina 

 river, arc annually to be I'ound breeding in small coin- 

 uumitii's of a dozen or twenty individuals. The species 

 also breeds regularly in Adams and Cumberland coun- 

 ties; in Adams couniy it is reported to be (luite plenti- 

 ful as a summer resident. 



Desoured (rrassli()])perts and Beetles. 



This bird w ill resort for several consecutive seasons 

 to a favorite nesting place, and occasionally wlx^n its 

 eggs are taken will lay a second time in the same nest. 

 The Turkey \'ulture is very numerous in the southern 

 states, Avhere it resides all the year, hut in the eastern 

 United vSlales, north of Pennsylvania, it is said to be 

 quite rare. Two young which I took from the nest 

 and kept in capti\ity until full gro\\ n became exceed- 

 ingly tame. These birds often when feeding, and in- 

 variably if approached by a stranger, would utter a 

 loud hiss, the only sound which this species, as well as 

 other of the American \'ultures, is known to make. 

 They fed chiefly on fresh meat, and also devoured with 

 apparent relish earth-worms, crickets, grasshoppers 

 and other large insects; oftentimes they also ate pieces 

 of bread, cake and particles of apples or pears which, 

 were tin-own before them. The Turkey Buzzard, in 

 its natural state, according to Audubon, sucks the 

 eggs and devours the young of herons and other birds. 

 Turkey Buzzards do not. as some persons affirm, dis- 

 turb domestic fowls, and rarely are these cowardly 

 birds seen to destroy the eggs of yjoultry. T have 

 never known them to disturb either the eggs or young 

 of birds, but have observed that they subsist almost 

 wholly on carrion. The benefits which these scaven 

 jjrers render are to(» well known to need anv comment. 



