engagements prevented me from devoting as much time to the subject as was necessary to investigate it in such a manner as to prove satisfactory to my mind, and I postponed it to a more leisure period. On the recent visit however of Mr. Audubon, I consented to institute these inquiries, in the prosecution of which, I was aided by the intelligence and experience of such disinterested naturalists and men of science as could be obtained.

It will be observed that our experiments were confined to our two species of vulture-Cathartes Aura and Cathartes Iota, which are so common in Carolina. There are three other species which have been described by authors, to frequent the southern and western portions of the United States. The Vulture Californianus (Lath.) undoubtedly exists west of the Rocky Mountains, as specimens were procured near the Columbia River by Mr. Douglass, but we have no evidence of its existing to the eastward of that great chain. The existence in the United States of the great condor,* is only conjectured from a bill, and a quillfeather brought by Lewis and Clarke from the Columbia River, and deposited in the Philadelphia Museum. The beautiful king of the vulturest is said to appear occasionally in Florida, upon what authority I am unable to state. None of the gentlemen, however, who have resided at Key West, and other portions of Florida for many years, have been able to find this bird. Mr. Audubon, however, in his indefatigable exertions in that country, found a different species which was not before known to exist in the United States-the Caracara Eagle,‡ of which I have received several specimens through the kindness of Dr. B. B. Strobel and Dr. Leitner, that had been procured between Tampa Bay and Key West. Whatever powers of smelling these (with us rare species) may possess, I am unable to state from actual experiment. But it will probably be discovered that their olfactory powers have been as much overrated, as was the size of the famous Condor, whose quill-feather, even as late as 1830, was described as 'twenty good paces long,' and which, on actual measure

*Cathartes Gryphus Temm.

†Cathartes Papa Ill.

Polyborus Vulgaris.

ment, has been found of less dimensions than that of several species existing on the Eastern Continent. But laying aside speculations on a subject which time and further observations only can decide, I proceed to a detail of facts that have come under my observation.

On the 16th Dec. 1833, I commenced a series of experiments on the habits of our vultures, which continued till the end of the month, and these have been renewed at intervals till the 15th of Jan. 1834. Written invitations were sent to all the professors of the two Medical Colleges in this city, to the officers and some of the members of the Philosophical Society, and such other individuals as we believed might take an interest in the subject. Although Mr. Audubon was present during most of this time, and was willing to render any assistance required of him, yet he desired that we might make the experiments ourselves— that we might adopt any mode that the ingenuity or experience of others could suggest, of arriving at the most correct conclusions. The manner in which these experiments were made, together with the results, I now proceed to detail.

There were two points, in particular, on which the veracity of Audubon had been assailed; 1st, Whether the vultures feed on fresh or putrid flesh, and 2nd, Whether they are attracted to their food by the eye or scent.

Ön the first head it was unnecessary to make many experiments, it being a subject with which even the most casual observer among us is well acquainted. It is well known that the roof of our market-house is covered with these birds every morning, waiting for any little scrap of fresh meat that may be thrown to them by the butchers. At our slaughter-pens the offal is quickly devoured by our vulturés, whilst it is yet warm, from the recent death of the slain animal. I have seen the Vultur Aura a hundred miles in the interior of this country, where he may be said to be altogether in a state of nature, regaling himself on the entrails of a deer which had been killed not an hour before. Two years ago, Mr. Henry Ward, who is now in London, and who was in the employ of the Philosophical Society of this city, was in the habit of depositing at the

foot of my garden in the suburbs of Charleston, the fresh carcasses of the birds he had skinned, and in the course of half an hour, both species of vulture, particularly the turkey buzzard, came and devoured the whole. Nay, we discovered that vultures fed on the bodies of those of their own species that had been thus exposed. A few days ago, a vulture that had been killed by some boys in the neighborhood, and that had fallen near the place where we were performing our experiments, attracted on the following morning the sight of a turkey buzzard, who commenced pulling off its feathers and feeding upon it. This brought down two of the black vultures, who joined him in the repast. In this instance, the former chased away the two latter to some distance, an unusual occurrence, as the black vulture is the strongest bird, and generally keeps off the other species. We had the dead bird lightly covered with some rice chaff, where it still remains undiscovered by the vultures.

2nd. Is the vulture attracted to its food by the sense of smell or sight? A number of experiments were tried to satisfy us on this head, and all led to the same result; a few of these I proceed to detail.

1st. A dead hare,* a pheasant,† a kestrel, (a recent importation from Europe,) together with a wheelbarrow full of offal from the slaughter-pens were deposited at the foot of my garden. A frame was raised above it at the distance of twelve inches from the earth, this was covered with brush-wood, allowing the air to pass freely beneath it, so as to convey the effluvium far and wide, and although twenty-five days have now gone by, and the flesh has become offensive, not a single vulture appears to have observed it, though hundreds have passed over it, and some very near it, in search of their daily food. Although the vultures did not discover this dainty mess, the dogs in the vicinity, who appear to have better olfactory nerves, frequently visited the place, and gave us much trouble in the prosecution of our experiments.

*Lepus timidus.

†Phasianus Colchicus.

+Falco Tinunculus.

2d. I now suggested an experiment which would enable us to test the inquiry whether the vulture could be attracted to an object by the sight alone. A coarse painting on

canvass was made representing a sheep skinned and cut open. This proved very amusing-no sooner was this picture placed on the ground than the vultures observed it, alighted near, walked over it, and some of them commenced tugging at the painting. They seemed much disappointed and surprized, and after having satisfied their curiosity, flew away. This experiment was repeated more than fifty times, with the same result. The painting was then placed within ten feet of the place where our offal was deposited-they came as usual, walked around it, but in no instance evinced the slightest symptoms of their having scented the offal which was so near them.

3d. The most offensive portions of the offal were now placed on the earth, these were covered over by a thin canvass cloth-on this was strewed several pieces of fresh beef. The vultures came, ate the flesh that was in sight, and although they were standing on a quantity beneath them, and although their bills were frequently within the eighth of an inch of this putrid matter, they did not discover it. We made a small rent in the canvass, and they at once discovered the flesh and began to devour it. We drove them away, replaced the canvass with a piece that was entire again they commenced eating the fresh pieces exhibited to their view, without discovering the hidden food they were trampling upon.

4th. The medical gentlemen who were present made a number of experiments to test the absurdity of a story, widely circulated in the United States, through the newspapers, that the eye of a vulture, when perforated and the sight extinguished, would in a few moments be restored, in consequence of his placing his head under his wing, the down of which was said to renew his sight. The eyes were perforated; I need not add that although they were refilled and had the appearance of rotundity, yet the bird became blind, and that it was beyond the power of the healing art to restore his lost sight. His life was, however, preserved by occasionally putting food into his mouth.

In this situation they placed him in a small out-house, hung the flesh of the hare (which had now become offensive) within his reach, nay, they frequently placed it within an inch of his nostrils, but the bird gave no evidence of any knowledge that his favorite food was so near him. This was repeated from time to time during an interval of twenty-four days (the period of his death) with the same results.

We were not aware that any other experiments could be made to enable us to arrive at more satisfactory conclusions, and as we feared if prolonged, they might become offensive to the neighbors, we abandoned them.

As my humble name can scarcely be known to many of those into whose hands this communication may fall, I have thought proper to obtain the signature of some of the gentlemen who aided me in, or witnessed these experiments; and I must also add, that there was not an individual among the crowd of persons who came to judge for themselves, who did not coincide with those who have given their signatures to this certificate.

We, the subscribers, having witnessed the experiments made on the habits of the vultures of Carolina (Cathartes Aura and Cathartes Iota) commonly called Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow, feel assured that they devour fresh as well as putrid food of any kind, and that they are guided to their food altogether through their sense of sight and not that of smell.

ROBERT HENRY, A. M.

President of the College of South Carolina.

JOHN WAGNER, M. D.

Pro. of Sur. at the Med. Col. State S. Ca.

HENRY R. FROST, M. D.

Pro. Mat. Med. Col. State S. Ca.

C. F. LEITNER,

Lecturer on Bot. and Nat. Hist. S. Ca.

B. B. STROBEL, M. D.

MARTIN STROBEL.

It now remains for naturalists to account for the errors which have for so many ages existed with regard to the power of scent ascribed to our vultures. Indeed, it is highly probable that facts elicited from the experiments of Audubon on our two species of vulture, strengthened by those instituted on this occasion, may apply to all the rest