AMERICAN VULTURES. 273 



in the former situations, while it is outnumbered by that bird in the heart 

 of the country. As the habits of this vulture are very similar to those of the 

 turkey-vulture, it will suffice to say that these birds are more or less gregarious, 

 frequently breeding in small companies, and making little or no nest for the 

 reception of their two eggs, which appear to be always placed on the ground, 

 either under the protection of low bushes, logs, or rocks, or in perfectly open 

 situations. They rarely breed north of latitude of 39; and in the Southern 

 United States the eggs are laid early in March. The ground-colour of the eggs is 

 pale greyish green, upon which are more or fewer reddish markings. Describing 

 a breeding-place of these birds on a small island off South Carolina, Mr. W. Hoxie 

 states that, under a dense growth of yucca, he has " taken nineteen eggs in one 

 afternoon, and seen at the same time five or six pairs of newly-hatched young. 

 There is never the slightest attempt at forming a nest, or even excavating a hollow. 

 The eggs are laid far in under the intertwining stems of the yuccas, and, in the 

 semi-shadows, are quite hard to be seen. The parent birds have, however, the 

 habit of always following the same path in leaving and approaching their precious 

 charge ; and, after a little experience, I learned to distinguish these traces so well 

 that I seldom failed to follow them up, and secure the coveted treasure." 



The name of the turkey-vulture, or turkey -buzzard, as it is 

 ' commonly called in North America, will always be associated with 

 that of Charles Waterton, as being the bird which gave rise to the great 

 dispute between that original observer and Audubon as to whether vultures 

 detected their prey by sight or smell. Although the English naturalist stoutly 

 maintained that Audubon's experiments were inconclusive, and that the turkey- 

 vulture was solely guided by scent, the views of his adversary have been 

 now very generally accepted. The turkey -vulture (Rhinogryphus aura) is 

 one of several species, distinguished from the black vulture by the rounded 

 form of the tail, and by the interval between the tips of the primary and 

 secondary quills exceeding the length of the metatarsus. The present species 

 is one of the smaller representatives of the genus, measuring 30 inches in 

 length, and characterised by its plumage being generally black, with the wings 

 washed with brown, the shafts of the primaries brown on the upper surface, and 

 the red head. The allied R. perniger has the plumage all black, and the head 

 yellow ; while in R. falclandicus the wings are washed with grey, and the head 

 pink ; and R. urub itinga differs by its orange head and the white shafts on both 

 sides of the primaries. All these three latter species are exclusively South American. 

 The turkey-vulture, on the other hand, has the widest distribution of any member 

 of the family, ranging over nearly the whole of temperate and tropical America, 

 inclusive of the West Indies. Southwards it extends to Patagonia and the 

 Falkland Islands, while its northern limits are marked by New York and British 

 Columbia. In the southern and middle United States these birds are exceedingly 

 common ; and in some of the southern towns and villages, when not molested, they 

 may be seen perambulating the streets, or roosting on the housetops, with perfect 

 unconcern of the passers-by. Capt. Bendire writes that they look their best aloft, 

 as their flight is exceedingly easy and graceful ; w^hile the apparent absence of all 

 effort as they sail in stately manner overhead, in ever-changing circles and without 



VOL. IV. 1 8 



