Creamy wHite with large irregular brown splotches 



complimented me upon the fact that I 

 was manifesting an interest in a line of 

 natural history which had nothing to 

 do with fishing and shooting. 



Although I little appreciated it, I 

 had made a most favorable impression 

 upon my aunt, and after her return to 

 the city I received a box filled with all 

 sorts of books on natural history. Thus 

 I entered into the ranks of the natural- 

 ists. 



While the lives and habits of many 

 animals have interested me since my 

 first lesson with the buzzards as sub- 

 jects, I believe that this ignoble bird to 

 this day holds me strongest, presum- 

 ably because through their assistance 

 my dormant love for nature received its 

 awakening. 



From my histories I learned that the 

 turkey buzzard is a species of genus 

 catharista commonly known as the car- 



rion vulture. The name, turkey buz- 

 zard, comes from the peculiar walk of 

 the bird on the ground and its actions 

 while devouring its food. The wattles 

 on the head and neck also tend to in- 

 crease the resemblance to the domestic 

 turkey. The turkey buzzard differs 

 from his relative, the black vulture, in 

 many ways. The black vulture is an 

 awkward creature on foot, and hobbles 

 around in a stilted sort of a way, while 

 the turkey buzzard struts in regal mag- 

 nificence. The flight of the turkey 

 buzzard is different from that of his 

 black brother, for while the larger birds, 

 depending almost wholly upon air cur- 

 rents for support in the air, seldom flap 

 their wings, the black vulture gives five 

 or six flaps, sails a little while, and then 

 flaps some more. 



The height attained by these birds in 

 flight is surprising. While on the sum- 



10 



