22 Zbc Marblcr 



the quantity lay concealed. This was soon devoured, but the other was not 

 found, a proof that dogs smell better than Buzzards. Mr. Audubon is this 

 morning painting a sheep under the impression that the Buzzards will come 

 to the painting. The painting was finished in less than an hour. It was a 

 coarse affair on a canvas painted in oil. It represented the animal cut open 

 with his entrails hanging out. In its wet state it was placed in the garden 

 on the ground. The day was rainy and very disagreeable, and but few Buz- 

 zards were flying. The first one ( C. Aura) that made his appearance saw 

 the painting when he was about seventy yards off, gave a sudden turn and 

 alighted near it, walked all around the painting, seemed much disappointed. 

 Flew off to a post nearby and here he was again attracted by the painting. 

 He once more returned, gave it a careful examination and then flew off. 

 Here is a positive proof that our Vultures are attracted to their food by sight 

 and not by smell. All this while there was a wheelbarrow full of putrid 

 meat within fifteen steps of him, and in a situation where effluvium was 

 freely communicated to all around, so as to attract dogs and become disagree- 

 able to man, but the Buzzards did not find it out. 



To-day we fed our confined Buzzards. They were very hungry and 

 ate greedily within a few steps of us. We intend making some experiments 

 with them. 



24th December. After much rainy and disagreeable weather the rain 

 has ceased and the blessed sun has once more appeared. We tried the 

 painting and soon brought one to it, being now satisfied that they would 

 come to a picture, of course, by sight. I proposed trying an experiment 

 which I believed would be conclusive. We placed the dead Hare and Pheas- 

 ant together with the entrails of a sheep under an osnaburg cloth, through 

 which the effluvium might easily penetrate, but which would not permit 

 the Buzzards to see the meat. On the top of this we fastened some fresh 

 meat by driving a stick through it. We also placed the painting near as an 

 additional attraction. In a short time we had the pleasure of seeing eight 

 birds alight, several of each kind. They immediately walked up to the meat 

 and in a little time devoured it. All this while they were standing on the 

 canvas which covered a quantity of putrid meat. They in picking the meat 

 above it must have had their bills within an eighth of an inch of the parcel 

 below, but they did not preceive it. If they had the sense of smelling they 

 would have tugged at the cloth that contained it, but no they were still 

 hungry. They walked all about. One of them, a Black Vulture, gave a 

 few pulls at the painting with his bill. They could find nothing more to 

 eat and all of them successively flew off. This experiment .was made in the 

 presence of four who all were perfectly satisfied that the Buzzards cannot 

 smell. About one o'clock we repeated the experiment. Two Buzzards (C. 

 Aura) came. One pulled off a piece of meat which was in sight, flew off 

 with it in his bill, the other chased him. They soon returned, ate up the 



