CATHARTES. 135 
Juv. similis adultis, sed rostro nigricante ; pilei colore livido fusco (teste Ridgway, Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. 
p. 221). 
Hab. Nortu America, more or less regularly to Southern New England, New York, 
Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.—MExi0c0, generally distributed (Sumichrast**, 
Deppe**), Guaymas (Belding °), Fronteras in Sonora (obinette?°), Mazatlan 
(Grayson), Tres Marias Is. (Grayson 1013, Nelson *°), Guanajuato, Guadalajara 
(Dugés 1), Colima (Xantus1°), Valley of Mexico (Herrera!’ 18), Jalapa”®, Las 
Vigas 29, Chichén Itzi 2" (Chapman), State of Vera Cruz from the sea-level to a 
height of 14,000 feet, Volcan de Orizaba 6, Popocatepetl, &c. (Swmichrast ®*), 
Ixtaccihuatl, San Andres Chalchicomula, Toluca (Baker ??), Rio Rancho Nuevo 
(Ferrari-Perez), Tekanto, Tunkas, Ticul, and Uxmal in N. Yucatan (Stone & 
Baker ?!), Cozumel 1.19 2°, Bonacca I.!9 (Gaumer); GuatTeMALA, generally distri- 
buted from the sea-level to a height of 13,000 feet, Volcan de Fuego, Duenas, 
Coban, &c. (0. S. & F. D. G.8); Hoypuras, Omoa (Leyland"), Ruatan I. 
(Gaumer); Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur (Nutting), Rio Escondido (Rich- 
mond 25); Costa Rica, generally distributed (v. Frantzius }2, Underwood), San José 
(Boucard ®2, Cherrie 24), La Palma (Nutting 4); Panama (M‘Leannan®), Punta de 
Sabana (Festa 25)—Soutn America generally. 
The Red-headed Turkey Vulture is common throughout the Southern United States, 
becoming rarer as it advances northwards, according to Bendire 73, who says that it is 
‘‘regident to the east of the Rocky Mountains from about lat. 39° southward, while 
on the Pacific coast it winters as far north as lat. 46° near the mouth of the Columbia 
River.” 
Widely distributed in Mexico and Central America, C. awra frequents the open 
country rather than the towns, and occurs from the sea-level to an elevation of 14,000 
feet in the higher mountains. It does not appear to be so plentiful in Central America 
as Catharista atrata, and we found this to be the case in Guatemala, where the bird 
was observed in less cultivated or forest districts. 
Dr. Ralph writes, in Bendire’s ‘ Life Histories of North American Birds’ **, that he 
had often seen C. aura in company with Black-headed Vultures floating down a river 
on a dead alligator, cow, or other large animal, so closely packed that they could hardly 
keep their balance, with others following on the wing. 
This Vulture makes little or no attempt at a nest. The eggs are laid in cavities or 
holes in rocks or trees, often on the bare ground, and under bushes; sometimes in an 
old Hawk’s nest at a considerable height from the ground. ‘They are two, rarely three, 
in number, of a creamy-white colour, with blotches or spots of red, chocolate-brown, 
or lavender, these markings varying in intensity, even in the same clutch, to almost 
spotless white °°. 
