Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-19
WINGED SENTINEL OF THE AIR.
The Vuiture Is the Embodiment of
Grace in the Sky.


When we see. far up against the
blue Sky, a vulture sailing on rigid
wings in wide circles, the embodiment
of grace, it is more than likely that
we begin to desire a nearer view, a
closer acquaintance with this wonder
full creature which can overcome the
attraction of gravitation for hours
without a visible movement of his out
stretched pinions.
Lucky are we if our desire is never
gratified, for in this case qualification
| certainly means disappointment on
the wing and in the distance vulture
| is a beautiful, marvellous being, but
| af0ot and at close quarters it is often
an object of disgust, and not infre-
| luently very offensive to more senses
than one. Like members of many dis
| gushing trades, it is extremely useful
| to society, and its value as a Scaven-
| ger has been recognized for thousands
of years.
| OF the three vultures which inhabit
| North America, two are found in the
| Eastern states. The better known,
| perhaps, is the turkey vulture, COM
! monty called turkey buZzard, which
| may be seen in the sky at all hours of
| the day in any of the states from New
Jersey southwark. No one. however
unobservant he may be, can fail to no
| tice this great bird, wheeling in tireless
| flight against the southern sky, even
| if he is not sufficiently interested in
birds to inquire the name of the winged
| sentinel which ever guards the air
against pollution.
| The turkey buZzard is about thirty
] inches in length, and measures over
| six feet from tip to tip of it's out
| stretched wings. It's head and neck
are naked and bright red it's plumage
| is glossy black, edged with grayisn
| brown. Its nest is usually made in a
hollow stump or log or on the ground
under bush, and often consists of
nothing but little decayed wood. The
eggs are dingy white, more or less
| splashed with chocolate. The young
are covered with a whitish down, and
| their heads remain doWny until the
| birds are full grown.
Except during the nesting season
these birds are gregarious, and after
shutdown they may be seen winging
| their way to some roosting place,
which they will occupy together until
| the morning.
| They have wonderful powers of
sight, and when sailing far above the
earth they keep a bright lookout for
| dead or dying animals. They probably
| have an acute sense of smell also to
! guide them in cases where their prey
| is hidden from sight.
There is no necessity for burying
dead horses or cattle in the South
they are just dragged aside, and the
vultures descend and quickly clean the
| bones. At the time an animal was
killed there may not be Il vulture in
| sight, yet in Il very short time the
carcass will. perhaps, be hidden be
meath a black company of squabbling
| gluttons, which, if not disturbed, will
remain until every vestige of flesh has
disappeared.
For long time naturalists could not
| discover by what sense VultureS We're
attracted to a carcass lying at so
/ great a distance that it could neither
be seen nor smelled. Even yet the
| question is not fully understood, but it
| is now believed that the more distant
vultures are guided by the actions of
| those which are nearer the object of
attraction.
| Those within a certain distance can
| doubtless see the carrion, and at once
| set sail for it. Other vultures farther
| away see the nearer ones flying in a
| definite direction, evidently with an
| object in view, and follow, on the same
| principle as the tail-enders run to a
| fire. Those birds still farther off fol-
| low in their turn, and the result IS
| that there is seldom any of the food
wasted.
The black vulture is a heavier bird
| than the preceding, but it has not so
| great q stretch of wing, and is there
fore less graceful when flying aloft. 1t
| may be distinguished from the turkey
| buzzard in the field by many other
| pecCliarities.
For example, its head and neck are
black, and it's tail is nearly third
| shorter than that of the buzzard.
| Moreover, it flaps its wings much
| oftener when i'll flight 1t is also more
| frequently seen in the streets of cities,
where it acts as a ScaVenger, ana
! does great service by clearing the gut
ters and market places of much ami
| NAL matter which would otherwise
soon become offensive
In some of the Southern cities it has
become quite tame, and strides about
| with tie assurance of the domestic
pigeon. It's value is generally recog-
nized. and it is seldom molested. If
approached while feeding it grunts a
| little and moves on. In company with
the turkey buzzard, it may often be
seen summing itself upon the roof of Il
house or budding over a warm Chin
nov IN 6rv IFS wet plum9Cp. When n
dog is killed in the streets or when a
horse drops dead from the heat, these
vultures have a feast.
The nest of the black vulture is made
The eggs, one to three in number, are
on the ground under logs or bushes.
nearly three inches long. They are
white. with obscure chocolate mark
ings.-Roston Herald.