44 BLACK VULTURE. 



I could. My esteemed and learned friend, Professor Jameson, requested 

 permission to pubHsh my paper in his valuable journal, which I most 

 readily granted. Strolling homeward, I felt proud that I had at last broken 

 the charm by which men had so long been held in ignorance respecting 

 the history of our Vultures, assured that the breach which I had made 

 upon a general and deeply rooted opinion, must gradually dissolve it, as 

 well as many other absurdities which have for ages infested science, like 

 the vile grub beneath the bark of the noblest forest tree, retarding its 

 growth, until happily removed by the constant hammerings of the indus- 

 trious Woodpecker ! 



I returned to America, urged by enthusiasm, to pursue the study of 

 Nature in the majestic forests ; and finding that doubts excited by persons 

 prejudiced against me, existed in the minds of some individuals, I resol- 

 ved to have my series of experiments repeated by some other person, in 

 those districts where Vultures abound, and in the presence of a number 

 of scientific men, with the view of satisfying the incredulous as much as 

 in my power. My travels were continued, and 1 became acquainted 

 with one of the best practical ornithologists our country affords, and 

 moreover a man of general learning, my worthy and esteemed friend the 

 Reverend John Bachman of Charleston, South Carolina. To him I 

 frequently wrote, requesting him to make experiments on the faculty of 

 smelling in our vultures. In the winter of 1833-4, the following were 

 made, and afterwards published in Loudon's Magazine of Natural His- 

 tory (No. 38, March 1834, p. 164). 



" On the 16th December 1833, I commenced a series of experiments 

 on the habits of our Vultures, which continued till the end of tlie month, 

 and these have been renewed at intervals till the 15th of January 1834. 

 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 Phi- 

 losophical 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 was willing 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, at arriving at the most correct conclusions. The manner in 

 which these experiments were made, together with the results, I now pro- 

 ceed to detail. 



There were two points in pai'ticular on which the veracity of Audubon 



