18 BLACK VULTURE, OR, CARRION CROW. 



ing themselves. Hundreds of them are usually found, at all hours of the 

 day, about the slaughterhouses, which are their favourite resort. They 

 alight on the roofs and chimney-tops, wherever these are not guarded by 

 spikes or pieces of glass, which, however, they frequently are, for the pur- 

 pose of preventing the contamination by their ordure of the rain water, which 

 the inhabitants of the southern States collect in tanks, or cisterns, for domes- 

 tic use. They follow the carts loaded with offal or dead animals to the 

 places in the suburbs where these are deposited, and wait the skinning of a 

 cow or horse, when in a few hours they devour its flesh, in the company of 

 the dogs, which are also accustomed to frequent such places. On these 

 occasions they fight with each other, leap about and tug in all the hurry and 

 confusion imaginable, uttering a harsh sort of hiss or grunt, which may be 

 heard at a distance of several hundred yards. Should eagles make their 

 appearance at such a juncture, the Carrion Crows retire, and patiently wait 

 until their betters are satisfied, but they pay little regard to the dogs. When 

 satiated, they rise together, should the weather be fair, mount high in the 

 air, and perform various evolutions, flying in large circles, alternately 

 plunging and rising, until they at length move off in a straight direction, or 

 alight on the dead branches of trees, where they spread out their wings and 

 tail to the sun or the breeze. In cold and wet weather they assemble round 

 the chimney-tops, to receive the warmth imparted by the smoke. I never 

 heard of their disgorging their food on such occasions, that being never done 

 unless when they are feeding their young, or when suddenly alarmed or 

 caught. In that case, they throw up the contents of their stomach with 

 wonderful quickness and power. 



The Carrion Crows of Charleston resort at night to a swampy wood across 

 the Ashle}^ river, about two miles from the city. I visited this roosting 

 place in company with my friend John Bachman, approaching it by a close 

 thicket of undergrowth, tangled with vines and briars. When nearly under 

 the trees on which the birds were roosted, we found the ground destitute of 

 vegetation, and covered with ordure and feathers, mixed with the broken 

 branches of the trees. The stench was horrible. The trees were completely 

 covered with birds, from the trunk to the very tips of the branches. They 

 were quite unconcerned; but, having determined to send them the contents 

 of our guns, and firing at the same instant, we saw most of them fly off, 

 hissing, grunting, disgorging, and looking down on their dead companions 

 as if desirous of devouring them. We kept up a brisk fusilade for several 

 minutes, when they all flew off to a great distance high in the air; but as we 

 retired, we observed them gradually descending and settling on the same 

 trees. The piece of ground was about two acres in extent, and the number 

 of Vultures we estimated at several thousands. During very wet weather, 





