b 



KING VULTURE. 41 



ground or upon an isolated tree, but may be approached 

 and readily killed, when in the woods, or in some place to 

 which carrion has attracted it. While this bird is feed- 

 ina, either through fear or aversion, the common Vul- 

 tures or Turkey-Buzzards keep at a distance, and are 

 contented with the fragments left by their monarch. 

 According to M. de Azara, it makes its nest in hollow 

 trees, where it lays 2 eggs. 



The bill of this species is straight for one third of its length, then 

 strongly curved, and surrounded at its base by a membrane which 

 forms, on either side up to the eyes, a large depression, in which are 

 situated the ample openings of the nostrils ; between these arises a 

 kind of loose, soft crest, which moves readily from one side to the oth- 

 er, its extremity terminating in a remarkable cluster of warts. The 

 crown of the head is naked and of a scarlet color ; a band of very 

 short black hairs goes from one eye to the other across the hind- 

 head. Below the naked part of the neck there is a very handsome 

 plumy, greyish collar, with the feathers directed backward and for- 

 ward ; it is sufficiently large to allow the bird at will to retract and 

 hide his neck and part of his head. Behind the eye are some large 

 wrinkles which come together on the hind-head and form a salient, 

 fleshy, orange band, which descends from thence to the collar ; these 

 wrinkles hide the auditory canal, which is very small, and after- 

 wards unite with the other wrinkles which extend to the bill ; be- 

 twixt these wrinkles we perceive a down as well as on the other 

 sides of the head. The quills and the great coverts of the wings, the 

 tail, a space over the back, and the bill up to the membrane, with 

 the feet, are black. The membrane and the fleshy crest of the beak 

 are orange ; the naked skin at the base of the bill is purple ; the 

 edges of the eye-brows are of a lively red ; the sides of the neck are 

 flesh-colored, purple below the head, yellow above, and of a darkish 

 violet near to the band, and the wrinkles of the hind-head. The iris, 

 and all the rest of the plumage, are white. Some individuals, sup- 

 posed to be males, have a feeble tint of red with the white of the 

 upper part of the back. Total length 29 J inches (French). This 

 description applies to the bird when it has accomplished its 4th 

 year. 



At 3 years of age there is some black in the middle of the white 

 wing coverts. At 2 years of age, the whole head and the naked 

 4* 



