BIRDS OF SOUTHERN VERACRUZ — WETMORE 237 



were known regularly as zopilote, which the archeologists informed 

 me was an Aztec word, and occasionally I heard them called nopo. 

 Bands gathered about every carcass in the pastures, and after gorg- 

 ing rested in flocks in the trees, or congregated closely on the ground. 

 Sometimes the natives, seeing the latter, remarked jokingly "hay 

 musica," comparing them to the human groups that packed about 

 the native orchestras. When the air was heavy, these vultures re- 

 mained perched, or flapped heavily about for short distances. On 

 days of sunshine, they were often seen soaring high overhead. On 

 one occasion a flock circling 300 yards or more above the earth sud- 

 denly partly closed their wings and descended to the grass. Their 

 speed in descent was extraordinary. They often fought viciously 

 over food, rising several feet in the air as they struck at one another. 

 But once in the village I saw a hen turkey drive one away from the 

 vicinity of her young brood, and on another day two small dogs, 

 growling and barking, drove a flock of zopilotes from a dead pig 

 for no other reason than a very apparent dislike for the birds. 



CATHAKTES AURA AURA (Linnaeus) 



Yultur Aura Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 175S, p. 86 (Veracruz, 

 Mexico). 



The turkey vulture was seen daily in the region about Tres Za- 

 potes, either soaring with its usual ease over the open fields or rest- 

 ing in trees. It never joined the abundant flocks of black vultures 

 that congregated at the bodies of all dead animals of medium to 

 large size, from dogs and pigs to cattle and horses, and it was my 

 impression that the turkey vulture was content with the dead of the 

 smaller creatures for which there was less competition or, at any 

 rate, less fighting among the scavengers. 



While these notes are listed under the typical form, other races 

 were observed ; on April 6, for instance, I noted a considerable migra- 

 tion during which birds passed during the entire forenoon in little 

 groups, turning in spirals high in the air and traveling steadily 

 northward. A migrant flock of 30 individuals was seen following a 

 similar course on April 10. These undoubtedly included one or both 

 of the two northern races. 



Family ACCIPITRIDAE 



ELANUS LEUCURUS MAJUSCULUS Bangs and Penard 



Elanus leucurus majusculus Bangs and Penard, Proc. New England Zool. 

 Club, vol. 7, Feb. 19, 1920, p. 46 (San Rafael, Calif.) 



Between Tlacotalpam and Boca San Miguel on March 6, 1939, I 

 saw several white-tailed kites flying over marshy places. Later in 

 the month a pair established themselves on the little savanna im- 



