THE TURKEY BUZZARD. 257 



with the large hog and the little pig : and then he will be able to 

 draw his own conclusion as to the blindness of the vultures during 

 the first experiment, and their keenness of vision during the 

 second. 



I will now take a peep at the vultures marshalled in aerial columns. 

 The author tells us, " A flock of twenty may easily survey an area of 

 two miles, as they go turning in large circles, often intersecting each 

 other in their lines, as if forming a vast chain of rounded links ; 

 some are high, whilst others are low; not a spot is passed over 

 unseen; and consequently, the moment a prey is discovered, the 

 favoured bird rounds to, and by the impetuosity of its movements 

 gives notice to its nearest companion, who immediately follows him, 

 and is successively attended by all the rest. Thus the farthest from 

 the discoverer, being at a considerable distance, sails in a direct line 

 towards the spot indicated to him by the flight of the others, who 

 have all gone in a straight course before him, with the appearance 

 of being impelled by this extraordinary power of smelling, so errone- 

 ously granted them." Here I break the quotation, to ask the 

 question, how are the hindermost vultures, which are successively 

 attending to the notice given by the favoured bird, in order to profit 

 by it, to know whether the favoured bird has alighted upon some 

 large carrion, or a diminutive garter snake ? The leader vulture, 

 according to our author's former experiment, would be equally liable 

 to fall down upon the one as upon the other ; and though he might 

 get a mouthful, the rest would be sorely disappointed. Again, sup- 

 pose the leader were to round to, and fall upon a stuffed deerskin, 

 and dilly-dally his time away in reconnoitring it, would not the rest, 

 on coming up, have just reason to be much out of temper? Oui 

 author continues, "If the object discovered is large, lately dead, and 

 covered with a skin too tough to be ate and torn asunder " (cart be- 

 fore the horse), " and afford free scope to their appetite, they remain 

 about it, and in the neighbourhood. Perched on high dead limbs, 

 in such conspicuous positions, they are easily seen by other vultures, 

 who, through habit, know the meaning of such stoppages, and join 

 the first flock, going also directly, and affording further evidence, to 

 those who are satisfied with appearances only. In this manner I 

 have seen several hundreds of vultures and carrion crows assembled 



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