4 
CATirARTES AURA. 
dirty white, or pale cream colour, splashed all over with 
chocolate, mingled with blachish touches, the blotches 
largest and thickest towards the great end ; the forfl> 
something like the egg of a goose, hut blunter at the 
small end : length two inches and thr('e quarters, breadth 
two inches. The male watches oftmi while the female is 
sitting ; and, if not disturbed, they will occupy the sam* 
breeding- place for several years. The 3’oung are clothed 
with a whitish down, similar to that which covers young 
goslings. If any person approacli the nest, and attempt 
to h.andle them, they will immedi.-itely vomit such often- 
sive matter, as to compel the intruder to a precipitate 
retreat. 
The turkey buzzards iire gregarious, peaceable and 
hannless ; never oft'ering any violence to a living animak 
or, like the plunderers of ihe falco tribe, depriving the 
husbandman of his stock, ilence, though, in conse- 
quence of their filthy habits, they are not beloved, yet 
they arc respected for their usefulness ; and in th* 
southern states, where they are most needed, they, as 
well as the black vultures, are protected by a law, which 
imposes a fine on those who wilfully deprive them of lift' 
They generally roost in flocks, on the limbs of larg® 
trees ; and they may be seen on a summer momiug> 
■spreading out their u ing-s to the rising sun, and remain- 
ing in that posture for a considerable time. Pennant 
conjectures, that this is “ to juirity their bodies, which 
ai-e most oft’ensivelj- fetid.” Put is it reasonable to 
supjtose, that that effluvia can be offensive to then>> 
which arises from food |)erfoctly adapted to their natur*) 
and which is constantly the object of their desires* 
Many birds, and particularly those of the granivoroU^ 
kind, have a similar habit, which doubtless is attended 
with the same cxhilrirating eft'oets, as an exposure to the 
pure air of the morning has on the frame of one just rise® 
from repose. 
These bird.s, unless when rising from the earth, seldo®' 
flap their u-ings, but sweep along in ogees, and dijip'®? 
and rising lines, and move with great rapidity. Thef 
are often seen in companies, soaring at an immc®'* 
