116 Nest of the Bengal Vulture. [Feb. 



that all vultures can find their food through the medium of their olfac- 

 tory nerves, though it be imperceptible to the eye." 



This is said with reference to an article in No. 38 of the same 

 Magazine, signed by several scientific men in America, stating it to 

 be their opinion, " that they (the vultures) devour fresh as well as 

 putrid food of any kind, and that they are guided to their food alto- 

 gether through their sense of sight and not that of smell." 



On this subject it appears to me that the parties, like the dispu- 

 tants in the fable of the Chamelion, " both are right and both are 

 wrong," as I think may be shewn from the arguments on either side, 

 and also from an experiment I made myself at Neemuch. Mr. Water- 

 ton affirms that the vultures of the United States never feed on 

 other than putrid carcasses, while his opponents declare that they feed 

 alike on fresh and putrid substances. 



Our Indian Vultures decidedly feed as readily on a recently de- 

 ceased animal, as on a putrifying one, and I have repeatedly seen 

 flocks of the Bengal vultures at Neemuch squabbling over the carcass 

 of a camel or an ox, which had not been dead more than a few hours, 

 and which was as yet perfectly fresh. 



Sight alone in these cases guided them to their prey. The young 

 bird above described was always fed with fresh raw meat. 



This does not, however, by any means prove that the vulture is 

 deficient in the powers of smelling carrion. The effluvium from 

 any decomposing body, being, as Mr. Waterton observes, lighter 

 than common air, naturally rises on high, and a flock of vultures 

 soaring above, and coming in contact with a tainted current, receive 

 warning that a banquet awaits them on earth, causing them to search 

 about in every direction for the desired object, in the same manner 

 as a dog would do. 



It often happens that an animal dies in some thick covert where 

 the vultures cannot discover it, until the vapour arising from the de- 

 composing body warns them that food is near, and excites them to a 

 closer search. Thus, having caught the tainted current of air, the 

 bird wheels round and round in decreasing circles as the scent grows 

 stronger, until at length it alights on some tall tree near the spot, 

 or perhaps on the ground, casting its piercing glances on all sides, in 

 the hope of discovering the savoury morsel, which, if perceived, is 

 instantly attacked "tooth and nail." 



It may very possibly happen, however, that the vulture after hav- 

 ing followed the attractive odour to the regions of earth, may yet be 

 unable to discover the object from which it proceeds, and after having 

 in vain endeavoured to bless his longing sight, and still more longing 



