OF THE UNITED STATES 227 



is shown in Fig. 58 of the present chapter, and it will be seen 

 that it is only in the wings (primaries and secondaries) that black 

 feathers appear at this age, while the face of the bird is naked to 

 a distance a little back of the eye upon either side. Such parts 

 of the posterior limbs and feet as are not covered with down are 

 of a rather light soiled gray color, and always more or less whit- 

 ened by the excrement passed by the bird itself. This bird fed 

 ravenously upon carrion and raw meat of any kind, gorging him- 

 self at every meal; it likewise took water freely. When dis- 

 turbed or handled it gave vent to a peculiar complaining cry, not 

 easily described. It showed no fear of man at all, and is now, 

 at this writing, still in possession of Mr. Palmer, who keeps it in 

 his shops at the Museum (September 6, 1897), where it has be- 

 come thoroughly domesticated. All its beautiful black plumage 

 is out, and only a little of the white down left, and that is upon 

 the upper part of the neck. Mr. Palmer tells me that it has the 

 habit of standing with its back exposed to the full glare of the 

 sun, and in doing this stretches out its wings to their full capac- 

 ity, apparently enjoying the " sun bath " in the highest degree. 



Old vultures, when slightly wounded, have a way of " playing 

 'possum " so successfully that cases, not a few, are upon record 

 where the device has saved their lives. Frequently, after gorg- 

 ing themselves upon carrion, turkey vultures will in numbers all 

 fly up and alight upon the limbs of some great dead tree in the 

 neighborhood, when, allowing their wings to hang down in a list- 

 less manner, they will sun themselves for hours, while the slow 

 process of digestion is in progress. When kept in confinement 

 they feed readily upon fresh raw meat, drink plenty of water, 

 and are fond of standing in a gentle rain storm. They are like- 

 wise so careful of their plumage and so inoffensive in habits that 

 one in time forgets that in nature they are naturally devourers 

 of carrion. Where turkey vultures abound, however, I am in- 

 clined to believe it is only rarely that they devour putrid flesh, 

 for an animal is no sooner dead and exposed in a favorable place 

 for them than it will be immediately attacked by dozens of these 

 birds at a time; so that even a horse will be devoured by the 

 crew in an incredibly short period, and nothing left but the skele- 

 ton, and long before the flesh has an opportunity to decompose. 

 It requires a heavy load of shot to down one of these vultures, 

 and I have often seen one escape when I knew it had a small 

 lead mine in the shape of No. 4's pretty equally distributed 

 throughout its system. 



