The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-06-01
JUNE !. 1901.
THE YOUNG VULTURE
HE is WILLING TO FIGHT BEFORE
HE is ABLE TO FLY.

ns IA Flash of Lightning.
In the south there is one bird which
everybody knows whether he is ma
tarc student or not. ] refer TO the
most people call him This bird seems
to be an ever present feature of the
southern landscape, for look upward
when you Will you may see him sweep
ing the sky with outspread wings,
wheeling in broad circles or soaring in
graceful spirals, with seeming never Il
stroke of the mighty plnlons for hours
at n time.
one day saw Il Vulture sailing thus,
says Ernest Harold Baynes in the
Boston Herald, and ] carefully marked
his flight until he descended from the
white clouds and disappeared near the
edge of n distant wood Surprising
that he had come down to feed on some
carrion-a dead horse perhaps. which
had been dragged just outside of the
woods and left made the best of my
way to the spot where | lost sight of
the bird that | might be witness 10
the feast
arrived at the wood, but neither
bird nor carcass could | see. Then ]
bethought me that this was the month
of May, and that perhaps the buzzafd
had a nest thereabout. | hunted I'M
der the bushes, along the side of fallen
= trees ana in some Old stumps which
were standing near, but not feather
was to be seen.
Presently ! spied n log which lay
somewhat apart in the shadow of some
shrubs, and as ! approached 1t out
from somewhere came big turkey
buzzard, which quickly disappeared
behind the trees. On coming up To the
log, which was n large one, found
that it was hollow, and in the cavity
there were two eggs. which doubtless
belonged 10 the vulturc which had just
departed. They We're considerably lar
ger than the eggs of domestic hen.
and in color they were dirty white,
heavily spotted with chocolate brown.
left them that might have nm op-
portunity to study the young
The next time | visited the hollow
log the parent birds We're not In sight,
hut in the nest | found two downy
ncdgclngs, which could scarcely be
called pretty. They We're in every WY
less attractive than young hawks of
the same age They expressed then
disapproyal of my presence by wenk
growing sound.
could not visit the spot again for
some weeks. and when | did one OF
them had disappeared. The other was
no longer In the hollow log, but stand
ing mt little distance, and | was III
tcrcstcd To see the change in his mp
pearancc In the first place. he had
grown tremendously; the down whlel
had formerly covered the whole body
WAS now confined chiefly To the bend
neck and under parts, and the rest OF
the bird WIS clothed with firm blacl
feathers He looked fat and we'll fed,
| reached out my hand and eaugh
him hy one wing. But here he hud
surprise for me. for he seized my lin
ger In his hooked bill and with turn
of his head twisted off II bit of til,
flesh before | had time even 10 object
After hurriedly cleansing the wound
again advanced on the enemy. wh'
WAS game enough to satisfy any on'
and came to the attack with open bill
OF course he WAS not dangerous III th'
least. for he was very young and coult
not even fly. but for II fledgeling tn,
grip he could give with his bill was
astonishing
However, picked him up. took hin
home aud tethcrcd him in the garden
with n strap to one leg. The first nigh
he ate II good meal of liver. and after
that he took almost any Kind of men
that was given him. let him haV'
carrion whenever il was convenient
but ut other times he ate freshly killed
frogs, fresh beef, upossum and ever
fish
one night soon after | had brough
him home | went ont to see how h,
looked when he was asleep. II was st
dark that his black plumnge WAS no
visible against the grass, All conl,
see of him WAS white spot. his head
rs it hung near the ground
| approached very quietly and wa
within five feet when something hap
pcucd. out of the darkness there cam,
flash of white straight toward m'
with speed which euused me To stel
quickly back ward. and ut the same in
slant there was n startling. ruStlinl
sound, accompanied by n guttura
growl, which for moment | did no
recognize AS the voice of the Naunl
Vulturc
Altogether it wns most startlinS
phenomenon, and although | realized
in n moment that the bird was in som'
way the cause of II, | do not know
even yet lust what happened rhi'
much know. however. that the birt
rushed mt me. growing with all hi'
might, and that the flash of white wA'
the white down of the body uncovere,
by the opening of the black wings.
The rushing sound was, think
caused in some way hy the wing feath
ers or tail feathers. or both, hut wheth
er by dragging them along the groun,
or otherwise | cannot tell. ! tried ol
EtNttll bttttStbhS W Hlltl illlS Out ny hl
preaching the young vulture whe
there was lust light enough for me (
see what happened. but he would neve
act in just the same why unless ii WA
quite dark.
No doubt this is some provision o
nature TO protect the bird when 1t
young aud helpless. and ! can testif
that il is good one. for am sure thu
few night proving animals would ear
10 pursue their Investigations after be
Ing given SO startling reception.
Her Mammals Error.
Mrs. Cutter Charles. what are thos'
large red white and blue ivory loz
enges saw in your pocket last night
Mr. Cutter oh. those those are trad
Ing stamps. dear. Mrs. Cuttcr-There
that's just what | thought they We're
but mamma declared they had some
thing ia do with some Kind of game