Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-30
Ihnse GaNsrIIle YnIIures.

To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times
In the Daily FREE Pass Of June l7sh. l.
an item headed "Vulture Catching, which
tells of the "bagging of four young WI
lures on .'Vulture Mountain at Gaysvllle.
Stockbridge," where "a couple of vulturC,
have made their home for years The ear
ly appearance of these ''vultures" on "Nu--
ture Mountain" was announced and repeat
ed in many, perhaps all. OF the Vernon.
papers. last April. II these items arc accu-
rate and trustworthy they are certainly Of
great interest. especially TO naturall~tS. au1
most particularly to lovers OF ornithol0Ey
and since, as it seems. these birds have hcel
the cause of giving q name 10 one Of oar
beautiful and world-rsnowned Green VI .ul-
tains, it Is matter of no small interest %
our geography, and in the instruction which
our papers lay before our children Slcl
items, when accurate, are helps IN the edl-
cation of readers when inaccurate they are
hindrances and misleading. and If they art
perpetCated in names attached 10 oGr -el ~
raphy they are blemish on the intsllisslce
of our people Our Gaysville friend- ~7.li
look into this matter. with some Jealousy
for their good name and reputation for To-
telligence.
Worcester : defnition Of vulture j.. "A
diurnal acclpitrlne bird, characteriz ~
an elongated beak, curved only at tae -
tremitv and having some part Of the se.i
and sometimes of the heck denuls1
feathers. In general, vultures are ot a CIV
srdly nature they feed on dead c-rci>---
and offal. They are the most disgusting 70
all birds Prof Spencer f. Bird, l. tle
Smithsonian Institution, probably Tie 3->-
informed ornitholOgIst In America. ,-l-
Order |. Rapt0res, embraces three iamiis~,
- VulfuridG -vultGres: F0ic1HIdr age
and hawks, and Strigids owl
part of his description OF the yll-
ture family l.: Head spar,oly covered
with downy feathers only. or p4rli-
ly naked. Claws weak, rather -.cllsr'
and only moderately curved. - iIe ae-
shows SINGLE patches OF perfectly n.s-4
skin The tsIl consists os but twelve iri'1-
ers." OF this family Prof Bard msn,..1-
four species IN The turkey buzzlr1-,l--
key vulture, length 30 inches, wing Is Ia. T.
spread 70. 1t Is common in the Suu,h.ra
and Middle States. the protected >cavll-T
of Charleston, Savannah. New Orleans, AL
other Southern cities, but, IS rarely sra
north Of New York" (2) The C4.r07rd
vulture length As to so lnchts. VIM 50
IS, tail Is to Is inches. III appear % e
restricted to the countries west % ils
Rocky Mountains" .(3) Tne bai
vulture-esrrion crow, length % ic.ar'
wing l6t. tail 81 "Eatire p.a-l-,
deep uniform black. Head --l
naked portion of the neck waT't-
or corrugated, and with ieS hair As
feathers" Abundant in the SJutlf'-
States and gregarious at all season.. ''a
gregating in large numbers in the ctie''
where they are of great service ia trc .e'-
rruction OF all descriptions of waste anu
dead animal substances (4) Bdrryush
length %. tail 50. wing Is laca,'
=. An inhabitant of the coasts of Mexico ana
lower California. Tho above bgr -pe-
cies are all the vulturcs ascertIined o. III
ha bit the United States" Which Of tae7e
species is the Gaysyille vllture2 o. l. Il
fifth species which should be reported n the
Smithsonian Institution Is VUitUre Noun
tam to stand as a monument to future gen
erations of the intelligence and bravery OF
the vulture bagging" people OF Uiy'-
gille?