42 THE LOON. 



two or three dark looking objects apparently like crows, 

 which seem to float mere specks in the already redden- 

 ing sky. They sail in easy circles, with hardly any ap- 

 parent effort, sometimes mounting high in the air and 

 again dashing oft* with considerable velocity. These are 

 the Turkey Buzzards, as akward, unsightly and inanimate 

 a bird when on the ground as one could imagine, and 

 when we see one gorging himself with putrid flesh from 

 the carcass of some horse or ox we feel completely dis- 

 gusted, and wonder how they can be such graceful birds 

 when on the wing. 



And yet they arc the most useful birds we have. Their 

 senses of smell and sight are most wonderfully acute, 

 and should one sight a carcass his spiral descension is 

 always observed by another, far away, and his by another, 

 until a large number gather to the repast, and that too, 

 frequently, where but one or two tiny specks could have 

 been seen in the air a few hours before. Tis said that 

 at the Crimean war, the whole race from the Caucasus 

 and Asia Minor collected to enjoy the abundance. The 

 Arabs even stated that they left Northern Africa, gather- 

 ing from the Atlas. 



But we cease our reflections on the birds of other 

 climes and relurn to our pleasant couch in the grove. 

 We notice the soft and not unmusical voice of the Pewee 

 and wonder the modest little bird has built its nest, for 



