28 Remarlcsy in defence of the Author 



chiefly upon dead birds^ quadrupeds or reptiles^ and fre- 

 quently those of large slze^ which It requires no extraordi- 

 nary powers of vision to discover- An argument much 

 relied upon by those who advocate the doctrine of the ol- 

 factory powers of vultures, is the circumstance of their 

 usually flying against the wind, as if to discover and follow 

 some current of tainted air. This practice it may easily 

 be perceived, is not more common to the vulture than 

 to any other bird. It is a mistaken idea that birds in 

 their migrations, or on any other occasion, prefer flying 

 with the Wind- This is inconvenient and uncomfortable 

 to themj and the careful observer of the flight of birds, is 

 well convinced that all birds — the vulture among the 

 rest, prefer facing the w^ind, not to enable them to smell 

 their food, but to render their flight more easy and pleas- 

 ant- 

 It may next be enquired, for what purpose are the wide 

 nostrils, and the olfactory nerves given to the vultures, if 

 they are not intended to assist them in procuring their food ? 

 To this, I answer, that the olfactory nerves of our vultures? 

 are not larger than those of many other birds, and their nos- 



■j^ 



Americana Tcmm.^ which discovers its food, (; 



( 



) 



emd 



the nostrllj Is probably a wise provision of nature to enable 

 a bird which, from its filthy habits of feeding, is continually 

 exposed to have its nostrils closed up — to blow out any 

 substance calculated to obstruct them. The same may be 

 said of the hooping crane, which from the manner of its 

 digging for roots In the earth is liable to the same Incon- 

 veniences. Several heads of the vultures are now in the 

 hands of individuals connected with our Medical Colleo-es 

 for dissection. A satisfactory elucidation of the subject 



