830 The Power of Scent in the Turkey Vulture. [August, 
by the ears ” two opposing parties of naturalists, one side contend- 
ing that the sense of sight was solely employed in foraging, their 
opponents attributing to the sense of smell alone the necessary 
guidance on such occasions. The perusal of this interesting 
paper brought to mind two incidents somewhat parallel to those 
related by Gosse, which I observed during the past summer (1882) 
in New Jersey, one in particular being proof positive to my own 
mind that the olfactories of a turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) 
can alone serve its purpose in the discovery of food. 
The facts on which I base so decided an opinion may be worthy 
of presentation to the reader. 
Whilst digging sweet-potatoes I noticed a very luxurious growth 
of the vines covering a small mound in the field, and inquiry re- 
vealed the fact that a horse and cow had been buried there some 
years before. Just then nothing impressed me in that connection 
save the immensity of the potatoes which we found overlying 
these two graves, but in the afternoon, and during the following 
day, “ buzzards” shadowed the farm by scores, seeming to obey 
from all quarters of the heavens a mysterious summons to Con- 
vocation. 
I soon perceived the sweet-potato field was the “ radiant point” 
of each speeding shadow. Buzzard after buzzard I traced as they 
appeared in various portions of the sky with half-folded wings, 
reminding me of mute, zrial hounds, “coming down the 
scent,” their course, as swift, silent, and undeviating as an ai- 
row’s. "Twas a strangely interesting spectacle to behold them 
swoop within a few feet of the horse-hades, and rise again with : 
slow, reluctant flaps, indicative of disappointment, then retum 
to deliberately “beat” and “quarter” the ground, erially speak- 
ing, with all the tact and persevering sagacity of their canine 
compeers ; in fact the performance was suggestive of a fox-hunt, 
in which reynard’s place was represented by the dead bodies, 
“earthed” in this case, however, for other than reynard dase 
One of the vultures in particular showed an extreme faith 0 
the guidance of its smelling powers by alighting without demu 1 
on the fence half a dozen paces from the centre of a 7 
where, after some time of manifest uneasiness and uncouth Pe 
turing, it was joined by a few of its more dubious companions. 
This visitation of uncanny birds continued long after, though : 
I never saw so many as at the first when the crop was plow a 
SS et Ee eae es eR SEE AT ae 
