380" CATHARTES AURA, TURKEY BUZZARD. 



iii, 1862, 157 (same instance). — Sam., App. Secy's. Rep. Agric. Mass. 1863, p. 

 xviii (Massachusetts ; two instances). — Allen, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1804, 81 (same 

 instances). — Gurn., Cat. Rapt. B. 1864, 42. — Dress., Ibis, 1865, 322 (Texas). — 

 GUNDL., Rep. 1865, 221 (Cuba).— Coues, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 253 (New England 

 instances).— McIlwr., Pr. Ilss. Inst, v, 1866, 80 (Canada West). — Lawi:., Ann. 

 Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 280 (New York).— Scl., P. Z. S. 1867, 589 (Para) ; 1868, 

 569 (Peru).— Coues, Pr. Bost. Sec. 1868, 120 (South Carolina).— Pelz., Orn.. 

 Bras, i, 1868, p. — . — Allen, Mem. Bost. Soc. i, 1868, 499, 526 (Iowa, and resi- 

 dent in Indiana). — Tuknb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 5 (resident). — Reinu., Vid. Med. 

 1870, 61 (Brazil).— Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871,27 (North Carolina).- Trippe, 

 Pr. Ess. Inst, vi, 1871, 113 (Minnesota, breeding, and in December). — Allen, 

 Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 310 (critical) ; iii, 1872, 181 (Florida, Kansas, Colorado, 

 Wyoming, Utah).— Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 502.— Snow, B. Kans. 1873.- Coues, 

 Key, 1872, 222.— Scott, Pr. Bost. Soc. xv, 1872, 229 (West Virginia). 



Cathftri.^ta aura, Vieill., Gal. Ois. 1825, pi. 4.— Grav, lland-list, i, 1869, 3, No. 18. 



Pcrciwpfcriis aura, Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii, pt. ii, 1826, 7. 



lUunoiiryphns aura, RiDGW.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 344. 



Vulttir aura, j3, Lath., Ind. Orn. i, 1790, .5. 



Vultur iota, Molina, Stor. Chili, 1782, 265.— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 247.— Daud., Tr. 

 Orn. ii, 1800, 20. 



Cathartes iota, Briog., P. Z. S. ix, 108 ; Ann. Nat. Hist, xiii, 498. 



Cathartes ru/icoUis, Spix, Av. Bras, i, 1824, 2 (quotes Catesby). 



Cathartes septentrionaUs, Maxim., Reise, i, 1839, 162. 



(?) Cathartes falklandicus, Sharpe, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 



Hah. — The whole of the United States and adjoining British Possessions. South 

 through Central and most of South America. Much confusion has prevailed in use of 

 the names aura and iota, notwithstanding the perfectly distinct (perhaps even generic- 

 ally different) characters of the two species — a difticulty which the labors of Mr. Alien 

 and Mr. Ridgway have done much to remove. It is believed that the synonymy as 

 here collated, based upon the authors just named, as well as substantially upon Strick- 

 land's prior lists, is correct. It should be observed, that aura of earlier authors appar- 

 ently included both species. 



Lieutenant Warren^s Expedition. — 4603, Cedar Islaud, Missouri River. 



Althoagli more particularly an inhabitaut of the warmer parts of 

 America, aiul most numerous in the Southern States, along' with the 

 Black Vulture [C. atratus), the Turkey Buzzartl is nevertheless found all 

 over the United States, and a little way into British America. On the 

 Atlantic coast its ordinary limit is Long Island ; Audubou'S data were 

 incomplete in rendering his statement that it is never seen beyoml New 

 Jersey. It has been repeatedly observed in Southern New England, 

 and at least once in Maine. Its Nova Scotia record, as remarked by 

 I3r. Brewer, is vague and probably unfounded; and even its New En- 

 gland occurrences are rare, if not altogether casual. It is included in 

 Mr. Mcllwraith's list of the birds of Hamilton, Canada West, with the 

 remark that it is a regular summer visitor to the extensive Hats near 

 Chatham, and along the shores of Lake Saint Clair. In the interior, it 

 regularly goes further north than on the coast. Mr. Trippe found it 

 abundant in Minnesota, where it breeds; and Sir John Richardson's 

 well-known record fixes its northern limit at about latitude 53° in the 

 region of the Saskatchewan, where it arrives in Juue. The highest 

 point where I ever saw it myself, up to the date of present writing, was 

 Eort Randall, latitude 43° il', on the Missouri. At the close of the 

 most terrific storm of the season of 1872-'73, memorable for its severity, 

 five or six birds came sailing over the fort. This was on the loth of 

 April ; none had been observed previously after October, and I do not 

 think it usually passes the incleuient season at this point. 



This brings us to consider the resident range of the species, as com- 

 pared with its summer dispersion. It has not been observed to winter 

 on the Atlantic beyond New Jersey, and even in that State is more 

 numerous in summer than in winter. But at Washington, D. C, my 

 home for a number of years, Avhere the bird is very common, I noticed 

 no material diminution of its numbers during the colder months. The 



