28 
TURKEY BUZZARDS. 
His manners, also, when not disturbed, are very 
dignified and sedate. A little too heavy, though, 
to be interesting after dinner, they say. 
He has a fashion of not wearing a thing on his 
head and neck, which makes his appearance quite 
singular and striking. One might think he was 
an immense raven, if it wasn’t for that, and asso- 
ciate him with memories of the “Bust of Pallas” 
and “that rare and radiant maiden whom the 
angels named Lenore ! ” 
The idea of a turkey buzzard being in such 
company even in one’s thought ! 
As it is, some people call him a bald eagle, 
which is almost as complimentary ! They are 
not ornithologists, however. 
He really has illustrious relatives. There are 
the South American condors, who are his own 
cousins, and whom he must resemble in one 
point at least— his lofty and long-continued flight, 
for he is truly graceful on the wing. 
To come down to his solid merits, he has one 
virtue, which it would be well for the world if his 
brethren, the social scavengers, possessed— he 
almost never uses his voice! 
It is true, naturalists say, it is because he hasn’t 
any, or at least any to speak of ; but how can 
they distinguish between incapacity and good 
sense, when they would both have the same 
effect ! 
