TURKEY VULTURE. 
height, particularly previous to a thunder storm. Their 
wing’s are not spread horizontally, but form a slight 
angle with the body upwards, the tips having an up- 
ward curve. Their sense of smelling is astonishingly 
exquisite, and they never fail to discover carrion, even 
when at the distance of several miles from it. When 
once they have found a carcass, if not molested, they 
will not leave the place until the whole is devoured. 
At such times they eat so immoderately, that frequently 
they are incapable of rising, and may be caught without 
much difficulty ; but few that are acquainted with them 
will have the temerity to undertake the task. A man 
in the state of Delaware, a few years since, observing 
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 cautiously 
approached, and, springing’ upon the unsuspicious group, 
grasped a fine plump fellow in his arms, and was bearing 
off his prize in triumph ; when, lo ! the indignant vulture 
disgorged such a torrent of filth in the face of our hero, 
that it produced all the effects of the most powerful 
emetic, and for ever cured him of his inclination for 
turkey buzzards. 
On the continent of America this species inhabits a 
vast range of territory, being common,* it is said, from 
Nova Scotia to Terra del Fuego.f How far to the 
northward of North California J they are found we 
* In the northern states of our union, the turkey buzzard is only 
occasionally seen : it is considered a rare bird by the inhabitants. 
f “ Great numbers of a species of vulture, commonly called car- 
rion crow by the sailors, ( vultur aura,) were seen upon this island, 
(New-year’s Island, near Cape Horn, lat. 55 S. 67 W.) and pro- 
bably feed on young seal cubs, which either die in the birth, or 
which they take an opportunity to seize upon. ” Cook calls them 
turkey buzzards. Forster’s Voyage, ii, p. 516, 4to. London, 1777. 
We strongly suspect that the sailors were correct, and that these 
were black vultures, or carrion crows. 
| Perouse saw a bird, which he calls the black vulture, probably 
the vultur aura , at Monterey Bay, North California. Voyage , ii, 
p. 203. 
