NORTH AMERICA. 



91 



and, in the Southern States, where they are most needed, they, as well as the black vul 



tures, are protected by a law, which imposes 



t^a^t a fine on those who wilfully deprive them of 



^ tf'i ^g^ ^ life. They generally rcost in flocks, on the 



\\ ~\\ „f|i|^^ P^^^N^ limbs of large trees ; and they may be seen 



^■^'^ f'^'^jij^ ^^'^0^^^ ^ summer's morning, spreading out their 



^^^^^^ '^^^^^^^^ * - ^'"S^^^° ^'l^ "^'S'^S. _i"6maining in 



^^^^^^^^^^%r<*C^^<^*^^^^^^^^^^^^H| ^'^ discover "carrion, even' when at the dis- 

 ^^^^^^I^if J^-iC-'J rV "^^R' '^^^^^S tance of several miles. When once they 

 ^^1^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^ jiave found a carca^ss, if n^ot^ molested, they 



Black Vulture. j^^^j |g^y acquainted with them, \vill 



have the temerity to undertake the task. A 

 man in Delaware, seme years since, observ- 

 ^»msr ^ '"^ some turkey buzzards regaling themselves 



upon the carcass of a horse, which was in a 

 highly putrid state, conceived the design of 

 making a captive of one, to take home for 

 the amusement of his children. He cau- 

 tiously approached, and springing upon the 

 ^^^^^^^^ "J^suspecting group, grasped a fine plump 



fellow in his arms, and was bearing olT his 

 prize in triumph : when lo ! the indignant 

 ; vulture disgorged such a torrent of fillh in 



- -i ' g^i cr-i:.--' the face of our hero, that it produced all 



\vj|wsr,.-.,-.v.-.v.v.,-. J 1 1 1 1 1 1 ^^SS:::^:r-Trr - r^"' ' the effects of the most powerful emetic, and 



^^^^'^'^''^^'^^^^ Turkey Buzzari^ forever cured him of his inclination for turkey 



buzzards. 



The favorite residence of the Grtat Horned Owl {Slrix Jlrginiana) is in the dark solitudes 

 of deep swamps covered with a growth of gigantic timber ; and here, as soon as evening draws 

 on, and mankind retire to rest, he sends forth such sounds as seem scarcely to belong to this 



world. " Along the mountainous shores of 

 ^^^^^^^ the Ohio," says Wilson, " and amidst the 



Mm^XVtmiMi deep forests of Indiana, alone and reposing in 



the woods, this ghostly watchman has fre- 

 quently warned me of the approach of morn- 

 ing, and amused me by his singular exclama- 

 tions ; sometimes sweeping down and around 

 my fire, uttering a sudden JVavgh O ! Waugh 

 O ! sufficient to have alarmed a whole garri- 

 ^^^^^ son. He has other nocturnal solos, no less 



^ ^ melodious, one of which very strikingly re- 



sembles the half suppressed screams of a 

 person suflocated or throttled, and cannot fail 

 '^^'^fflfjlf^lS'^ '^^ being exceedingly entertaining to a lonely 



g^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^g benighted traveller, in the midst of an Indian 



- "^'/^ ^^'-'^'^^^^^^^^^^ This species inhabits the country round 



&?>^^^^^^^^i^^^^WP^^ Hudson's Bay ; and according to Pennant, 



— — ._-^^^^r considers it a mere variety of the Eagle 



Great Horned Owl. ■ Qwl of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka, and 



extends even to the Arctic regions, where it is found white, and occurs as low as Astrachan 



