CLASS AVES. 



155 



FIG. 262. 



distant to be seen by the human eye, and thus a large 

 nock quickly gathers from all 

 quarters of the heavens.* The 

 head and neck are bare, to en- 

 able them to be plunged deeply 

 into a carcass. As the naked 

 skin, however, would suffer in 

 the cold air, the base of the 

 neck is encircled with a ruff 

 of soft down, arising from a 

 loose fold, into which the neck 

 and most of the head can be 

 withdrawn, while the over- 

 gorged bird remains in a semi- 

 torpid state during the diges- 

 tion of its meal, a wise provision of Nature for its comfort. 



To this family be- 

 long the California 

 Vu Itti r e [Pseudogi ->j- 

 phtis californianus] 



(su dog'ri fus kal i for- 

 ni a'nus), the Black 

 Vulture \_Catltarista 

 atra I a] (kath a ris' ta 



a tra'ta), the Turkey 

 Buzzard \~Rhy nog)-ij- 

 />lius aura] (rhin- 

 og'rifus au'ra) of the 



Rhyndgryphus uu ra. 

 Turkey Buzzard. ( f V) 



FIG. 263. 



* Both sight and smell seem 

 to aid them in the pursuit of 

 their food. The latter sense is 

 remarkably keen, and they have 



been seen to descend directly from a great height in the air to putrefying food 



that was concealed from their vision. 



Sar cor /ta/n'phus gryph'us. Condor. 



