BLACK VULTURE. 51 



several, when they took no notice of othei- individuals ; and they avoid- 

 ed my horse in the pastures, after I had made use of him to approach and 

 shoot them. 



At the commencement of the love season, which is about the begin- 

 ning of February, the gesticulation and parade of the males are extreme- 

 ly ludicrous. They first strut somewhat in the manner of the Turkey 

 Cock, then open their wings, and, as they approach the female, lower their 

 head, its wrinkled skin becoming loosened, so as entirely to cover the bill, 

 and emit a puffing sound, which is by no means musical. When these 

 actions have been repeated five or six times, and the conjugal compact 

 sealed, the " happy pair'"' fly off, and remain together until their young 

 come abroad. These birds form no nest, and consequently never breed 

 on trees ; the hollow of a prostrate log, or the excavation of a bank of 

 earth, suffices for them. They never lay more than two eggs, which are 

 deposited on the bare ground ; they are about three inches in length, rather 

 pointed at the smaller end, thick in the shell, with a pure white ground, 

 marked towards the greater ends with large irregular dashes of black and 

 dark brown. Twenty-one days are required for hatching them. The 

 male and female sit by turns, and feed each other. The young are at 

 first covered with a light cream-coloured down, and have an extremely 

 uncouth appearance. They are fed by regurgitation, almost in the same 

 manner as pigeons, and are abundantly supplied with food. When fled- 

 ged, which is commonly about the beginning of June, they follow their 

 parents through the woods. At this period, their head is covered with 

 feathers to the very mandibles. The plumage of this part gradually dis- 

 appears, and the skin becomes wrinkled ; but they are not in full plum- 

 age till the second year. During the breeding season, they frequent the 

 cities less, those remaining at that time being barren birds, of which there 

 appear to be a good number. I believe that the individuals which are no 

 longer capable of breeding, spend all their time in and about the cities, 

 and roost on the roofs and chimneys. They go out, in company with the 

 Turkey Buzzards, to the yards of the hospitals and asylums, to feed on the 

 remains of the provisions cooked there, which are as regularly thrown out 

 to them. 



I have represented a pair of Carrion Crows or Black Vultures in full 

 plumage, engaged with the head of our Common Deer, the Cei-vus virgi- 

 nianus. 



