Open Nests in Woods, Thickets, Swampy Thickets 



must be at least several thousand feet, should be able to get the 

 scent of anything on the earth while the wind is blowing at the 

 rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour ; yet when I have skinned 

 a small animal and thrown down the body, the birds, that were 

 seen to be flying at an immense height, immediately descended 

 and attacked the carcass. Another time, in order to test their 

 olfactory nerves, I took an alligator that had been -^ead several 

 days, and at night cut it in half ; the one-half was hidden by a 

 piece of sacking. These two pieces were placed about thirty feet 

 apart, and in the morning both black vultures and turkey vul- 

 tures were there in numbers. After finishing the exposed half, 

 they jumped about after their usual fashion and actually stood 

 upon the covered portion, but its presence was not discovered by 

 them. Surely, if they had such a highly developed sense of smell, 

 they would not have acted in this way. 



The young are covered with white down for some time after 

 being hatched, and if handled have the disagreeable habit of dis- 

 gorging offensive matter ; so it is advisable to leave them alone. 

 The breeding season begins in April. 



326. Black Vulture: Catharista atrata (Bartr.) 



Adult — Black ; the head and neck black, and bare of feathers. 

 Breeding Range — North Carolina and the lower Mississippi Valley, 

 southward. 



The nest, of which there is but a trace, is placed on the 

 ground beneath scrubby growth, in hollow prostrate logs, on 

 stumps, or among rocks. 2 or 3, usually 2 eggs, are laid ; they 

 vary greatly in colour; the average is dull white or pale blue, 

 rather heavily spotted and blotched with dark brown and choco- 

 late of various shades. Size — 3.00 x 2.00. 



The Black Vulture resembles in general characteristics its 

 near relation the turkey buzzard, but it is not as common inland. 

 The nesting habits of both species are very similar. These birds 

 usually make a path to their nests, along which they jump in an 

 awkward manner. The male assists in the tedious duty of incu- 

 bating, which occupies about twenty-eight or thirty days. 



The breeding season commences about the end of February 

 or the beginning of March. 



58 



