VULTURES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR...]
SIE,—Perhaps the following incident would interest students of natural history amongst your readers. Last week some sports took place at a station near here, one of the events being what is popularly known as a "Victoria-Cross Race,"— that is, the competitors have to ride some distance, taking two or three hurdles on their way, to a point where there are arranged a number of figures in stuffed cases, shaped like human bodies ; they then dismount, fire a round of blank cartridge, pick up a dummy each, and race back. In this case, after the sports were over the dummies were left on the ground, and in about half-an- hour after the ground was deserted, I noticed a vulture settle on the ground close to the dummies ; in about another five minutes, more than thirty had collected. The birds seemed much puzzled as they carefully inspected each lay-figure, walking from one to the next all along the line, and eventually, after sitting in a circle for a short time, flew away. These birds must have discovered the dummies by sight, though I have often heard that vultures rely on their sense of smell as well.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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