Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-12
nAgLY AND WEEKLY.
TME SCENT or THE RUxzARo.

While digging sweet potatoes l mo-
ticed a very luxurious growth OF the
vines covering small moua in the
field, and inquiry revealed the fact that
a horse and COW had been buried there
some yeare before. just then nothing
impressed me In that connection save
the immensity Of the potatoes which ve
fonnd ovselying these two graves, but
in the afternoon and during the follow
ing day buzzards shadowed the farm by
scores, seeming ~ obey from all quar-.
ters of tho heavens mysterious snm-
mons to convoc ,tiou. | soon perceived
the sweet potato field WAS the radiant
p0int" Of each speeding shadow. Boz.
card sitter buzz ard traced az they ap
pearcd In different directions with
nIffulded wings. reminding ms Of
muts aerial hounds, ''0ominy down ths
oc0nt,o thoig cnufss M swift. silent aud
ssallsviatin9 a. an arrows II wAs q
strangely interesting spectacle tn behold
them swoOp within few feet of the
horse -hadea. and rise again with slow
reluctant flaps, indicative Of disap2oint.
mont, then return 10 deliberately "beAt'
aud quarter" the ground. aerially
speaking, with all the tact and psrsaver
ing ssgacity of their canine cOinpo~ra
in fact, the performance vas suggestive
Of fox hunt. in which Reynard's p. .cs
Was represented by tho dead bodies,
"enrthed" in this c1se, however, fJr
other than kcynard's reasons. One 0i
thoee yultures showed an extreme faith
Ia guidance Of its smelling powers by
sliQhting without dsmur on the fenoe
half dozen pRces from the center Of
aAtraotiOu, where, after some time
OF manifest uueasiness and uncOuth
p0sturing, ii was joined by few
OF it, more dubious companions. This
visitation Of uncanny birds continued
long after, thouQh never saw 80 many
9 at The ilrst when the crop was pl0wed
ont, the disturbance probably releasing
ioe time the pent-up od0Fs. could
6saeol no taint in the atmosphere Of
~ paoee even while working in the
freshly plOved ground, yet hundreds Of
buxssfds assembled from far and near,
and with uuerring accuracy pointed out
she place Of burial with 0vershad0wing
vin0s. In consequence Of these 0bser-
vAtions the theory that the vulture fam
lily are enabled 20 dsteet the exist.
enco Of dead body by scent, unas
sisted BY the remaining senses, aud
this too, At great distances, and when
such CARCASS had lain deep under th.
ground for several years, was to me sat
isfaotorily proved. G ,sse, ~ before
stated, gives an instance confirmatory
TO this one just related, justly attribut
ing to the same q ecies Of vulture this
w0ndr0ns faculty of tracking its prey
from afar. 1t was 0bsssved In jamaica
"a poor German immigrant, who lived
alone in a detached cottage in this
town, rose from his bed after n few
days confinement by fever 10 purchase
in ths market some fresh meat for a
little soup. Before he could prepare the
several ingredients of herbs aud roots
and put his meat in water for the prep
aration Of his pottage, the paroxy ysm Of
his fevsr had returned, and he laid him.
oelf ON his bed exhausted. Two days
elapsed in this state OF helplessnsss and
inanimation, BY which time the mess Of
meat and pot herbs had putrsfied. The
stencil became very perceptible In the
neighbOrhOod. Vulture after vuiture
- they ssilsd past, were observed al
ways to descend to the cottage OF the
German, and 10 sweep round ~ II they
had tracked some pntrid caroas, bu,
failed 10 find exactly where il was."--
Aassricda Nafs,ulisf.