42J 



THE TURKEY X'ULTURE. 



IS like the pull nf the string which enables the kite to shoot rapidly uiDward 

 throngii the air. But what shall we say of a bird which, without momentum, 

 but still on motionless wing, rises steadily against the wind? Not onh' rises, 

 but makes rapid |)r()gress forward as well, in a direction contrary to the wind? 



That these and (ither birds do ;iccom- 

 ])lish this feat is a fact patent to all 

 careful observers. How the^- do it — 

 well, that is another matter. "The wav 

 of an Eagle (\Tilture) in the air" has 

 puzzled more than wise Agur. 

 The American Vulture is not 

 a high-flyer like those of the 

 Orient. In his case, h.owever, 

 it is still clearly evident that en- 

 tire dependence is placed upon 

 tlie eye-sight in the detection 

 of food. An in:mense extent 

 of territorv is ccn-ered bv a 

 Buzzard on his daih- rounds. 

 No visible corruption escapes 

 his notice, l)ut the odor of half- 

 covered carrion ma\- become al- 

 most ]ialpable before it attracts 

 his attention. A possilile rea- 

 SI 11 for tliis inabilitv to locate 

 1)\- the sense of smell alone is 

 disclosed in the words of 

 Cones: "Certain it is that in- 

 dei^endent of tlie passing con- 

 tents ("if the alimentarv canal, 

 permanent foetid, musk\' odors 

 exdiale from the bones and 

 muscles ; and the same stench 

 is entangled in the web of the 

 feathers. Tt is retained for a 

 long while e\-e-i after the bird 

 is killed and stuffed. So 

 strong is it that one auth(ir, an 

 excellent naturalist, too, fancied it must be rather unpleasant to the birds 

 tbemsehes." Hence it wc.mld ap])ear that since the birds smell so loudly 

 themselves, they are not in a position to exercise discrimination with refer- 

 ence to external scents. It does not seem to be true, as has sometimes been 



Taken II 

 Ciiiiinibii 



"Wiri-I MOTIONLESS PINIOiNS." 



