494 



PREYING BIRDS — RAPTOKES. 



Length, 20.00 to 24.00 ; wing, 13.00 to 15.00 ; tail, 0.00 to 10.00. Bill light blue, darker 

 at the tip ; cere and feet yellow. 



Hah. Tropical America to Southern United States, New Mexico, Colorado Valley, 

 California. 



Dr. Kennerly, while with Lieutenant Whipple's Pacific Eailroad Expedi- 

 tion, obtained one of these birds from the Indians, in Colorado Valley, near 

 Fort Mojave, February 27, 1854. It may have been kept by the Indians as 

 a i^et, caught in summer, or raised from the nest, as I did not see any of the 

 species durinc; my five months' residence at the Fort in ISGO-Gl. It is said 

 to be found in large numbers in Texas, and descriljed by Colonel MeCall as 

 " haljitually fre(iuenting the ground in the vicinity of water. It is slow and 

 heavy in tliglit, and a dull, sluggish bird in all its habits, partaldng in these 

 respects of the general characters of the viiltures." 



Mr. Cassin considers the North and Central American specimens of this 

 bird as distinct from the South American, and retains Audubon's name of 

 Harrisii for the former. 



Family VULTUEID^, The Vultures. 



Char. Bill contracted or indented on the anterior liorder of the cere, 

 the culmen ascending again anteriorly ; somewhat liow-shaped. Eyes pro- 



