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BULLETIN 5 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



less than one-ninth as long as wing, shorter than middle toe without 

 claw, covered with very small roundish scales; middle toe without 

 claw, less than twice as long as lateral toes, the latter nearly equal. 

 Plumage and coloration. — Plumage commencing about middle of 

 neck, where forming a nearly even Une all around, or on upper neck 

 and extending upward on nape nearly if not quite to occiput, the 

 feathers broad and imbricated; plumage in general rather soft, the 

 larger wing coverts, remiges, and rectrices more fiirm. General color 

 black or brownish black, uniform on neck and underparts (sometimes 

 on upperparts also), the wing coverts, scapulars, etc., sometimes 

 grayish brown, black or bluish black (more or less glossy) centrally, 

 the secondaries and rectrices edged with grayish brown ; adults with 



Figure 3. — Cathartesaura, 



bill white and bare skin of head and neck red, orange, or yellow; 

 young with bill and bare skin of head and upper neck blackish or dusky. 



Nidijication. — Same as in Coragyps; eggs similar in coloration. 



Range. — Temperate and Tropical America in general, but absent 

 from the West Indies except Cuba, Isle of Pines, and Jamaica, and 

 the Galapagos Arciiipelago. (Two species.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF CATHARTES. 

 a. Head in life mainly yellow; general coloration more uniform, blacker, sheen 

 of feathers of dorsal surface with green predominating; purple restricted 

 or nearly absent; wing coverts black without distinct paler edgings. 



C. urubutinga (extralimital) '" 



'" Cathartes urubutinga. — Cathartes Urubutinga Pelzeln, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. 

 Wien, xliv, 1861, 7 (Sapitiba, Irisanga, and Forte do Rio Branco, Sao Joaquin, 

 Brazil). — Catharista urubutinga Pelzeln, Sitzb. Akad. Wiss. Wien, xliv, 1861. 



