I could. My esteemed and learned friend, Professor JAMESON, requested
permission to publish my paper in his valuable journal, which I most
readily granted. Strolling homeward, I felt proud that I had at last broken
the charm by which men had so long been held in ignorance respecting
the history of our Vultures, assured that the breach which I had made
upon a general and deeply rooted opinion, must gradually dissolve it, as
well as many other absurdities which have for ages infested science, like
the vile grub beneath the bark of the noblest forest tree, retarding its
growth, until happily removed by the constant hammerings of the industrious
Woodpecker!
I returned to America, urged by enthusiasm, to pursue the study of
Nature in the majestic forests; and finding that doubts excited by persons
prejudiced against me, existed in the minds of some individuals, I resolved
to have my series of experiments repeated by some other person, in
those districts where Vultures abound, and in the presence of a number
of scientific men, with the view of satisfying the incredulous as much as
in my power. My travels were continued, and I became acquainted
with one of the best practical ornithologists our country affords, and
moreover a man of general learning, my worthy and esteemed friend the
Reverend JOHN BACHMAN of Charleston, South Carolina. To him I
frequently wrote, requesting him to make experiments on the faculty of
smelling in our vultures. In the winter of 1833—4, the following were
made, and afterwards published in LOUDON'S Magazine of Natural History
(No. 38, March 1834, p. 164).
" On the 16th December 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 January 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, at arriving at the most correct conclusions. The manner in
winch 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, °Zd, Whether they are attracted to their food by the eye or
scent.
On the first head it was unnecessary to make many experiments, it
being a subject with which even the most casual observer amongst 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 slaughterpens,
the offal is quickly devoured by our vultures, 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 the 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,
and 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 neighbourhood, 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.
2d, Whether 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 (Lepus timidus), a Pheasant (Phasianus colchicm),
a Kestrel (Falco Tinnunculus), a recent importation from Europe, together
with a wheel-barrow full of offal from the slaughter-pens, were deposited
on the ground, at the foot of my garden. A frame was raised above
it at the distance of 12 inches from the earth; this was covered with
brushwood, allowing the air to pass freely beneath it, so as to convey the