THE KIXG VULTUUE* 



The king vulturet is a South American bird, and is found in Peru, Brazil, Guiana, 

 Paraguay, and Mexico. At the mature age of four years, it has been minutely described 

 by D'Azara. The beak is straight for about one-third of its length, then very mucli 

 curved, and surrounded at its base by a membrane which forms on each side as far as the 

 eyes, a considerable sinking in, in which are situated the ample apertures of the nostrils. 

 Between these is a sort of crest, which is neither elongated nor retreating, and which 

 falls inditferently on either side ; it is of a soft substance, and its extremity is ibrmcd by 

 a remarkable group of warts. 



On the head is a crown of naked blood-red skin. A bandelette of vcrj^ short and black 

 hair, extends from one eye to the other ; below the marked portion of the neck is a very 

 handsome sort of frill ; some of the plumes of which arc directed forwards, and some 

 backwards, while it is so ample, that the bird, in drawing itself in, can conceal in it its 

 nock, and a large part of its head. The remiges, and the large upper coverts of the 

 wings, the tail, a trace on the back, the beak as far as the membrane, and the tarsi, are 

 black. The membrane and the fleshy crest of the beak are orange ; the naked skin 

 of the base of the beak is purple ; and the edges of the eye-lids are of a lively red. The 

 naked portion of the neck is agreeably covered : it is carnation on the sides, purple 

 below the head, yellow in front, and a blackish violet near the bands, and the wrinkles of 

 the occiput. The iris of the eye, and all the rest of the plumage, are white. The total 

 length of the bird is twenty-nine inches and a half ; that of the fleshy crest is eighteen linos. 



Sarcorhamphus Papa. 



t V. Papa. 



