Brewster on Southern Birds. 103 
all hours of the day, in every kind of weather, they float over the 
cities, villages, plantations, pine woods, hummocks, cypress 
swamps, salt marshes and even the beaches of the Sea-islands. 
Go where you will ; it is almost impossible to look upward 
without seeing the picturesque forms drifting about in the sky. 
Some are soaring almost beyond the reach of human vision. 
Others at a lower elevation cross and recross each other in 
interminable mazy lines ; while still others glide across the 
landscape passing just above the tops of the trees. Both species 
occurred at St. Mary's, but the Black Vulture was much the less 
common. It associated freely with the Turkey Buzzards, among 
which it could be recognized at almost any distance by its differ- 
ent color, shape and manner of flying. The tail is so short as to 
be altogether out of proportion with the body and wings, white 
its square tip gives it the appearance of having been cut off'. 
This bird's flight is heavy, awkward and generally straight for- 
ward, although it occasionally soars. The wings are flapped 
every few seconds in a hurried, nervous manner that seems 
to betoken a lack of power or confidence. The flight of the 
Turkey Buzzard, on the contrary, is a picture of repose in mo- 
tion. The bird rarely moves its wings, save to alter their 
inclination, and its dark form drifts through miles of space 
without the slightest perceptible effort. The impression of 
entire freedom from exertion which its movements convey, is 
curiously in accord with the general enervating influence of 
southern life and its surroundings. Its impassive flight may per- 
haps be regarded as the most characteristic feature of a southern 
landscape, as it certainly is one of the most attractive. But the 
observer who would keep this impression untarnished will be 
wise to refrain from looking too closely into the useful side of 
the bird’s character. 
The Buzzard’s flight will not bear comparison however with 
that of the Swallow-tailed Kite. The latter is equally easy and 
graceful of wing, and, in addition, its movements are characterized 
by a certain dash and energy of purpose that one looks for in vain 
in the calm, emotionless flight of the Vulture. I hardly know a 
more attractive sight than that presented by one of these Kites 
playing about an opening in the woods. For a moment it floats 
motionless, as if suspended by an invisible wire ; the next, it 
glides close over the ground crossing and recrossing every yard 
