Part 15

Obs. This species is abundant in the Southern, and of quite frequent occurrence in the Middle States of the Union; but it rarely visits the northeastern, or on the Atlantic, is seldom met with north of New Jersey. In the southern part of the State of Delaware, and in Maryland, it is very abundant, migrating farther south in the winter. It subsists entirely on dead animals, which it devours in every stage of decomposition or putridity.

A South American species, long considered as identical with the present bird, is now well ascertained to be distinct, and is the Vultur jota. Molina. This name has been erroneously applied to the Carrion Crow or Black Vulture of the United States. The South American species is the smaller, is more slender in all its members, and all the specimens that we have seen have been of a more uniform clear black colour.

2. Cathartes atratus. (Bartram.) The Carrion Crow. The Black Vulture. Vultur atratus. Bartram Travels, p. 289. (1791.) Vultur urubu. Vieill. Ois. d’Am. Sept., p. 53. pl. 2. (1807.)

Wilson Am. Orn. IX. pl. 75, fig. 2. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 106.

Plumage commencing higher on the back of the neck than on its sides or in front, and there consisting of short feathers. Head and naked portion of the neck, warted or corrugated, and thinly covered with short hair-like feathers, bill rather long, nostrils large, and communicating with each other; tail, even; legs, rather long.

Entire plumage, deep uniform black, with a bluish gloss; under surface of primaries nearly white.

Total length (of skin) about 23 inches, wing 16½; tail 8½ inches.

Hab. Southern States, Texas (Audubon), California, Oregon (U. S. Ex. Exp. Vincennes). Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Obs. Abundant in the Southern States, and gregarious, congregating in large numbers in the cities, where they are of service in the destruction of all descriptions of rejected or waste animal matter.

The South American bird usually regarded as identical with this bird, is the Vultur brasiliensis. Ray. It is considerably smaller, and otherwise quite distinct.

3. Cathartes californianus. (Shaw) The Californian Vulture. Vultur californianus. Shaw, Nat. Misc. IX. p. 1, pl. 301. (1797.) Vultur columbianus. Ord. Guthries’ Geog. II. p. 315. (1815.) Cathartes vulturinus. Temm. Pl. col. I. pl. 31. (1820.)

Aud. B. of Am. pl. 411. Gray Gen. of B. pl. 2. Licht. Trans. Berlin Acad. 1838, pl. 1.

Size, large. Plumage commencing on the neck near the body, with a ruff of long, lanceolate feathers, which are continued on the breast. Head and neck bare, or with a few short feathers on the vertex, and at the base of the upper mandible; bill rather long, nostrils small, communicating with each other; wings long, primaries pointed; tail long, slightly rounded; tarsi and feet very strong.

Entire plumage black, many feathers narrowly tipped with brown, secondary quills with a grayish tinge, greater coverts tipped with white, which forms a transverse bar on the wing. Bill, yellowish white. Iris, carmine. Head and neck, in living bird, orange yellow. (Gambel.)

Total length (of skin) about 45 inches, wing 31, tail 15 inches.

Hab. California, Oregon. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This large Vulture is inferior only in this family to the Condor of South America. It is restricted to the countries west of the Rocky mountains, where in the vicinity of rivers it is occasionally abundant, living principally on dead fishes. It appears to be, however, more cautious and timid in its habits than the other birds of this group, and constructs its nest in the remote recesses of the mountains.

B. SPECIES PROBABLY OCCURRING IN THE UNITED STATES.

1. Cathartes burrovianus. Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. II. p. 212, (1845.) Burrough’s Vulture.

Resembling C. aura, but much smaller. Plumage on the neck ascending behind, as in C. atratus; bill, rather short; tail, rounded; tarsi, rather long. Entire plumage, deep uniform black, without brown edgings.

Total length of prepared specimen, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 22 inches, wing 18, tail 8½ inches.

Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz (Dr. Burrough), Mazatlan (Dr. Gambel). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is the smallest of all known Vultures, and though strictly of the same genus as C. aura, may readily be recognized by its small size. It is very probably to be found in California, and the late Dr. Gambel thought that he had seen it in that country, and at Mazatlan. (Jour. Acad. Philada. I. p. 26, quarto.)

II. GENUS SARCORAMPHUS. Dumeril Anal. p. 32, (1806.)

GYPAGUS. Vieill, Anal. p. 21, (1816.)

Head and neck naked, the former with an elevated fleshy caruncle. In all other characters much resembling Cathartes.

2. Sarcoramphus sacer. (Bartram) The Sacred Vulture. Vultur sacra. Bartram, Travels in Florida, p. 150, (1791.)

Original description.—“The bill is long, and straight almost to the point, where it is hooked or bent suddenly down, and sharp; the head and neck bare of feathers nearly down to the stomach, when the feathers begin to cover the skin, and soon become long and of a soft texture, forming a ruff or tippet, in which the bird, by contracting his neck, can hide that as well as his head; the bare skin on the neck appears loose and wrinkled, which is of a bright yellow colour, intermixed with coral red; the hinder part of the neck is nearly covered with short stiff hair; and the skin of this part of the neck is of a dun purple colour, gradually becoming red as it approaches the yellow of the sides and forepart. The crown of the head is red; there are lobed lappets of a reddish orange colour, which lay on the base of the upper mandible. The plumage of the bird is generally white or cream colour, except the quill feathers of the wings and two or three rows of the coverts, which are beautiful dark brown; the tail, which is rather large and white, is tipped with this dark brown or black; the legs and feet of a clear white; the eye is encircled with a gold coloured iris, the pupil black.” Bartram, as above, p. 150, 151.