SMELL. 289 



its back, in the attitude of a dead animal. In the course of 

 a few minutes afterwards, he observed a vulture flying to- 

 wards it, and alighting near it. Quite unsuspicious of the 

 deception, the bird immediately proceeded to attack it, as 

 usu^l, in the most vulnerable points. Failing in his object, 

 he next, with much exertion, tore open the scams of the 

 skin, where it had been stitched together, and appeared 

 earnestly intent on getting at the flesh, which he expected 

 to find within, and of the absence of which, not one of his 

 senses was able to inform him. Finding that his efibrts, 

 which were long reiterated, led to no other result than the 

 pulling out large quantities of hay, he at length, though 

 with evident reluctance, gave up the attempt, and took 

 flight in pursuit of other game to which he was led by the 

 sight alone, and which he was not long in discovering and 

 securing. 



Another experiment, the converse of the first, was next 

 tried. A large dead hog was concealed in a narrow and 

 winding ravine, about twenty feet deeper than the surface 

 of the earth around it, and filled with briers and high cane. 

 This was done in the month of July, in a tropical climate, 

 where putrefaction takes place with great rapidity. Yet, 

 although many vultures were seen, from time to time, sail- 

 ing in all directions over the spot where the putrid carcass 

 was lying, covered only with twigs of cane, none ever dis- 

 covered it; but in the mean while, several dogs had found 

 their way to it, and had devoured large quantities of the 

 flesh. In another set of experiments, it was found that young 

 vultures, enclosed in a cage, never exhibited any tokens of 

 their perceiving food, when it could not be seen by them, 

 however near to them it was brought.* 



It has been doubted whether fishes, and other aquatic ani- 

 mals, possess the sense of smell; in some of the whale tribe, 



♦Edinburgh New Journal of Science, ii. 172. The accuracy of these re- 

 sults, which had been contested by Mr. Waterton, is fully established by the 

 recent observations and experiments of M. Bachman, which are detailed in 

 Loudon's Magazine of Nat. Hist. vii. 167. 



Vol. II. 37 



