Abstract
THE observations with regard to the olfactory sense of vultures recounted by Mr. C. B. Williams (NATURE, July 29, p. 149) are at variance with those of hunters and field naturalists and the experiments of Audubon, Bachman, and Darwin (see Darwin's “Journal of Researches, Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle”). From a priori reasons it could be argued that birds as a whole depend mainly on sight, and no one would be inclined to deny an obvious fact when it is emphasised by morphological modification. Ducks and geese and other birds which feed for long periods on land and marsh certainly have good powers of smell, but in the majority the sense is feebly or not at all exercised. The conclusions of Mr. Abel Chapman, given on pages 241 and 423 of his “Savage Sudan” (1921), that with few exceptions birds and certainly that eagles and vultures possess no sense of smell, deserve attention, for he is a wildfowler with a long experience. He has told me, among many interesting observations which prove the fact, that in the Sudan, when it is necessary to preserve meat from a carcase for mess purposes, all that is necessary is to remove it a short distance and cover it with branches. The vultures discover without delay the carcase and pick it clean, but fail to find the rich supply of meat so near them. The fact appears, therefore, to be that vultures use their telescopic eyes not merely to watch what is taking place over a wide range below them, but to note what their neighbours are doing. If one disappears, the rest in turn fly to the region to find out the cause.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MEEK, A. Sense of Smell in Birds. Nature 110, 279 (1922). https://doi.org/10.1038/110279b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/110279b0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.