42 BIRDS OF PREY. 



part of the neck are of a black inclining to violet, with a little yellow 

 upon the neck ; all the upper parts blackish 5 the lower similar, but 

 with long blotches of white. The crest black, scarcely movable, and 

 having its extremity divided into 3 very small protuberances. In 

 ita first year, it is throughout of a dark greyish blue, with the excep- 

 tion of the belly and the sides of the rump, which are white; the 

 under part of the feathers also beneath the body are white. The feet 

 greenish. The upper mandible is blackish red ; the lower, orange 

 mixed with blackish, and with long black spots. The naked parts 

 of the head and neck black, and the iris also dark, as well as the 

 crest, which consists, at this age, of only a single solid and fleshy 

 excrescence. 



The White-tailed Vulture of Bartram, called also the Sacred Vul- 

 ture, from its veneration by the Creeks, seems in this particular of 

 the color of the tail to differ essentially from the true King Vulture, 

 to which it is referred by Latham. Mr. Vieillot considers it as a dis- 

 tinct species, and describes it as follows : It has the bill long and 

 straight almost to its extremity, where it is curved abruptly and be- 

 comes very pointed ; the head and neck are naked almost to the 

 stomach, where the feathers begin to cover the skin ; they then 

 lengthen by degrees, and form a ruff in which the bird, contracting 

 its neck, hides it up to the head. The naked skin of the neck is 

 spotted, wrinkled, and of a lively yellow, mixed with coral red; 

 the posterior part is almost covered with short thick hairs, and the 

 skin is of a deep purple, which becomes more clear and red as it 

 approaches the yellow at the sides of the fore part of the neck ; 

 the crown of the head is red ; there are some orange red appendices 

 at the base of the upper mandible. Its plumage is ordinarily white, 

 with the exception of the wing and 2 or 3 ranges of small feathers 

 covering it, which are of a fine deep brown. The tail is large, white, 

 and sprinkled with the same brown or black color. The legs and 

 feet are of a clear white. The eye is surrounded with a golden-col- 

 ored iris. 



The Creeks, according to Mr. Bartram, form their royal standard 

 with the feathers of this bird, to which they give the name of the 

 Eagle's tail. These birds are scarcely ever seen in Florida, except 

 after the burning of the prairies, when they assemble from all quar- 

 ters, and approaching by degrees the scorched plains, collect, amidst 

 the still warm ashes, the roasting reptiles, snakes, lizards, frogs, &c. 

 on which they feed. Having thus gorged themselves, they become 



