THE TURKEY BUZZARD. 
41 
US, that the power given to them (the vultures) 
by nature of discerning the approaching death of a 
wounded animal is truly remarkable." By way of 
exemplification, he continues, " a poor emaciated 
horse, or ox, the deer, mired in the margin of the 
lake, where the timid animal had resorted to escape 
flies and musquitoes, so fatiguing in summer, is seen 
in distress with exultation by the buzzard. He im- 
mediately alights, and, if the animal does not extri- 
cate itself^ waits, and gorges in peace on as much of 
the flesh as the nature of the spot will allow." 
Here the author at once invalidates his assertion 
of the remarkable power given by nature to the 
vulture, by the insertion of the unfortunate little 
remark, if it does not extricate itself. The vulture 
alights, ready to feed on the flesh of the deer, if it 
does not extricate itself. Now the expression, if it 
does not extricate itself gives us to suppose that it 
may extricate itself ; and, if it does extricate itself, 
then ofl* it goes, and of course escapes from the 
vulture. Wherefore, in this instance, nature would 
have given false information to the vulture. 
In closing his account, our author says, " what I 
have said of their killing and devouring young animals 
are" (instead of is) " suflftcient proofs*' (proof) "of 
this ; but it frequently happens that these birds are 
forced to wait until the hide of their prey will give 
way to their bills." 
In order to substantiate this, our author produces 
an alligator. " I have seen," says he, " a large dead 
alligator, surrounded by vultures and carrion crows, 
of which nearly the whole of the flesh was so com- 
