VULTURES. 



267 



crows : many sat on the tops of sheds, fences, and houses within sight ; sixty or eighty 

 on the opposite side of a small river. I counted at one time two hundred and thirty- 

 seven, and I believe there were more, besides several, in the air over my head and at 

 a distance. I remarked the vultures frequently attack each other, fightino- with their 

 claws or heels, striking like a cock with open wings, and fixing their claws into each 

 other's heads. On observing that they did not heed me, I stole so close that my feet 

 were within one yard of the horse's legs and again sat down." 



This species is nearly black, about two feet long, and has an extent of win^s of 

 about five feet. The head and much of the neck are bare of feathers, but the plu- 



O^-\->=V>;\ r^J 1 i ^ ,'VA / '\.\l V \ x \Vv i 



Cathartes au 



mage runs up on the back of the neck to a considerable distance. The only bird 

 which, could be mistaken for the carrion-crow is the turkey-buzzard, Cathartes aura, 

 but if the two birds have once been seen side by side they can hardly be confounded. 

 The latter bird is of a more brownish color, the neck is bare all around, the tail is 

 rounded instead of square, and the manner of flight is quite different, the present 

 bird sailing habitually by the hour, while the former flaps the wings vigorously every 

 few moments. The turkey-buzzard is found all over the United States except in the 

 northeastern part, but is most abundant toward our southern border. It occurs also 

 in the West Indies and in South America. Both this and the preceding species breed 



