288 



THE SENSORIAL FUNCTIONS. 



in Fig. 387, passing out through the orbit of the eye (o) in 

 two large branches, an upper one (u,) and a lower one (l,) 

 the ramifications of which are spread over the mandibles, 



both wathin and without. For the protection of the highly 

 sensible extremity of the beak against the injurious impres- 

 sions of hard bodies, a horny process (p,) similar, both in 

 form and office, to the human nail, is attached to it, and its 

 edtJ-es guarded by a narrow border of the same horny mate- 

 rial; these receive a first, and fainter impression, and admo- 

 nish the animal of approaching danger; if none occur, the 

 matter is then submitted to the immediate scrutiny of the 

 n.erves themselves, and is swallowed or rejected according 

 to their indication.* 



It has been generally asserted that Vultures, and other 

 birds of prey, are gifted with a highly acute sense of smell; 

 and that they can discover by means of it the carcass of a 

 dead animal at great distances: but it appears to be now suf- 

 ficiently established by the observations and experiments of 

 Mr. Audubon, that these birds in reality possess the sense 

 of smell in a degree very inferior to carnivorous quadru- 

 peds; and that so far from guiding them to their prey from 

 a distance, it affords them no indication of its presence, even 

 when close at hand. The following experiments appear to 

 be perfectly conclusive on this subject. Having procured 

 the skin of a deer, Mr. Audubon stuffed it full of hay; and 

 after the whole had become perfectly dry and hard, he 

 placed it in the middle of an open field, laying it down on 



* Such is tlie account given by Sir Busick Harwood, in his *' System of 

 Comparative Anatomy and Physiology," p. 26. 



