120 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



the skin to the Museum of Comparative Zoology. The species has been 

 reported at Progreso by Stone (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1891, 1890, 

 p. 203). 



PELECANIDAE. 



21. Pelecanus fuscus Linne. 

 Brown Pelican. 



One was shot by the Indian boys on February 26 from a large tree not far 

 from the house. 



CATHARTIDAE. 



22. *Catharista urubu (Vieillot). 



Black Vulture. 



Maya name, tsom; Spanish, sapilote. 



Chapman found the Black Vulture " somewhat less numerous than the 

 Turkey Vulture," and of the latter he saw only three or four daily. During 

 my stay at Chichen there were large numbers of Black Vultures in the neighbor- 

 hood of the hacienda at nearly all times. They roosted at night in the large 

 pits trees, and spent much of the day on the ruins of an old church, where 

 they often presented a curious spectacle as they stood with spread wings after 

 a shower. On February 29 forty-five Vultures were counted in the vicinity at 

 one time. They were awaiting their turn at the carcass of a pig lying in one of 

 the corrals and being devoured by two large, ravenous dogs. While one dog 

 feasted the other stood guard, running at and driving away any of the birds 

 that approached too near. When the dogs sighted me they slunk away, and 

 the Vultures immediately pounced upon the carcass. Heretofore the only note 

 I had heard from these birds was a low grunt which they give as they take wing 

 from the ground, but as they were crowding and flapping around the pig, fight- 

 ing and pushing one another away, I heard them utter a different note, which 

 sounded more like a squawk. 



On March 5, at the Sacred Cenote, two old Vultures were seen feeding a 

 young one. The young bird was in one of the shelf-like caves about half-way 

 down the vertical wall of the cenote. It was fully half-grown, but still in the 

 down ; body brown, head black. Most of the time it remained back out of 

 sight, but came out into view to be fed. On March 15 the young bird stayed 

 out in sight much of the time. It did not seem to have changed much in ap- 

 pearance since it was first seen on March 5. 



Stone (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1891, 1890, p. 204) reports finding a 

 nest containing eggs of this species near Tekanto about February 15. 



23. [*Cathartes aura (Linne.) 



Turkey Vulture. 



Maya name, tmk-piil-tsom. Tsak = red. 



Chapman states that he saw three or four Turkey Vultures daily. I often 

 made careful investigation of the Vultures at Chichen, but did not observe this 



