y 



20 



Remarks in Defence of the Author 



(^Cathartes aur a ^li^iaiG .) I acknowledge that he has adopted 

 views opposed to the long estabUshed opinions of naturalists. 

 But no one who will read his paper on the subject^ con- 

 taining a full detail of a number of experiments on the 

 habits of this vulture^ can deny^ that if he intended to 

 deceive the worlds he certainly chose a subject where 

 detection of error was easy and certain. In our southern 



( Cathari 



) 



dant In our streets and on our house-tops as to have 

 become a nuisance. Mr. Audubon, in his frequent visits 

 to this city, has fearlessly invited investigation on this 

 subject. During his absence, he has written to me on 



occasions 



Mr 



dubon to this city, I commenced a series of experiments 



on the habits of the vultures (C 



C. iota) 



particularly as regards their powers of smell and sight, 

 which continued with little Intennisslon till the 31st. 

 Written invitations were sent to all the Professors of the 

 two Medical Colleges in this city ; to the officers and 

 some of the members of the Philosophical Society, and 

 such other individuals as we believed might take an interest 

 in the subject. Although Mr. Audubon was present during 

 most of this time, and ivas wiUing to render any assistance 

 required of him, yet he desired that we might make the 

 experiments ourselves ; that we might adopt any mode 

 that the ingenuity or experience of others could suggest 

 for arriving at the most correct conclusions. The manner 

 in which these experiments were made, together with 

 the result, I now proceed to detail. 



There were three points on which the veracity of 

 Audubon had been assailed. 1. Whether is the Vulture 



gregarious 



> 



2. Whether he feeds on fresh 



