662 TURKEY VULTURE. 
the winter in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey; particularly in 
the vicinity of the large rivers and the ocean, which affurd a supply 
of food at all seasons. ; 
In New Jersey,* the Turkey Buzzard hatches in May, the deep 
recesses of the solitary swamps of that state affording situations well 
suited to the purpose. The female is at no pains to form a nest with 
materials ; but, having chosen a suitable place, which is either a trun- 
cated hollow tree, an excavated stump, or log, she Jays on the rotten 
wood from two to four eggs, of a dull dirty white, or pale cream color, 
splashed all over with chocolate, mingled with blackish touches, the 
blotches largest and thickest towards the great end; the form some- 
thing like the egg of a goose, but blunter at the small end; length, 
two inches and three quarters ; breadth, two inches. The male watches 
often while the female is sitting; and, if not disturbed, they will 
occupy the same breeding place for several years. The young are 
elothed with a whitish down, similar to that which covers young 
goslings. If any person approach the nest, and attempt to handle 
them, they will immediately vomit such offensive matter, as to compel 
the intruder to a precipitate retreat. 
The Turkey Buzzards are gregarious, peaceable, and harmless, 
never offering any violence to a living animal, or, like the plunderers 
of the Falco tribe, depriving the husbandman of his stock. Hence, 
though, in consequence of their filthy habits, they are not beloved, yet 
in repairing it. Egys, two, nearly spherical, about tle size of those of a Goose. 
jet black. “Period of incubation, twenty-nine or thirty-one days. They hatch gen- 
erally about the first of June. The young are covered with thick, whitish down, and 
are incapable of Jeaving the nest until the fifth or sixth week. Their food is carrion 
dead fish, or other dead animal substance ; in no instance will they attack any livin; 
animal, unless it be wounded and unable to walk. Their senses of smelling am 
seeing are remarkably keen. In searching for prey, they soar to a very great alti 
inde, and when they discover a wounded deer, or other animal, they follow its track 
and when it sinks, precipitately descend on their object. Although only one is at first 
seen occupying the carcass, few minutes elapse before the prey is surrounded by 
great numbers ; and it is then devoured to a skeleton within an hour, even though 
it be one of the larger animals — Cervus elaphus, for instance —or a horse. Their 
voracity is almost insatiable, and they are extremely ungenerous, suffering no other 
animal to approach them while feeding. After eating, they become so sluggish and 
indolent, as to remain in the same place until urged by hunger to go in quest of an- 
other repast. At such times they perch on decayed trees, with tneir heads so much 
retracted, as to be with difficulty obwerved through the long, loese, lanecclate 
feathers of the collar. The wings, at the same time, hang down over the fect. 
This position they invariably preserve in dewy mornings, or after rains.” 
The third species, pepe, not mentioned by Wilson, is introduced in the Sy- 
nopsis of Birds of the United States, by the Prince of Musignano, who mentions its 
oecurrence only in the warmer parts of North America ; it appears occasionally in 
Florida during summer. The other two are of much more frequent occurrence, and 
are of less noble dispositions, more sluggish. very easily intimidated, and dirty ir 
the extreme. Truly clearing away al] animal matter, they assemble in vast. troops 
upon the discovery of some dead, or nearly dying animal, and exhibit at their feast: 
scenes of the utmost gluttony and filth. Their power of scenting their quarry fron 
afar. has been proved erroneous, by the well-managed experiments of Mr. Audubon 
and, indeed, I never was inclined to think that any birds were endowed with any 
remarkable development of this particular sense. — Ep. > 
* Mr. Ord mentions New Jersey in particular, as in that state he has visited the 
breeding places of the Turkey Puzzard, and can therefore speak with certainty of 
the fact. Pennsylvania, it is mere (han probable, affords situations equally attrac- 
uve, which are also tenanted by this Vulture, for hatching and rearing its young. 
