\'TJLTUPJD.E — THE VULTURES — CATHARTES. 501 



male and female vulture-i. Tliey were feeding on the carcass of a whale on 

 the sea-.shore, and must have lieen gorged, as we could make out every 

 feature of Ijotli sexes witli distinctness, except that the color of the head and 

 neck of the male appeared of an orange-color instead of a briglit lemou- 

 yellow." Probably this was an old female, and the su2)posed females of 

 Taylor were young of the year. " AVe got witliin thirty yards of the male, 

 liut he kept his position on a pine-tree hard by, without moving more 

 than his head, in great anxiety ; he appeared incapable of flight. 



" Sometimes they make a smothered and squeaking noise or hiss, liut they 

 are generally mute." 



Dr. Newberry's oljser\ations in the northern part of California were as 

 follows : — 



" A portion of every day's experience in our march through the Sacra- 

 mento Valley was a pleasure in watching the graceful e\'olutions of this 

 spli'udiil l>ird. Its colors are pleasing; the head orange, body l]lack, with 

 wings brown and white and black ; while its iliglit is easy and eflbrtless, 

 almost beyond that of any other bird. 



" This vulture, tliongh common in California, is much more .shy and 

 difficult to shoot than its associate tlie turkey-buzzard (C. aura), and it is 

 never seen in such numbers, nor exhibiting such familiarity as that species. 

 We had, however, on our first entrance into the field, many opportunities of 

 shooting this bird, birt were unwilling to burden ourselves with it. After we 

 left the Sacramento VaUey, we saw very few in the Klamath basin, and none 

 within the limits of Oregon. It is sometimes found there, but much more 

 rarely than in California." 



This confirms the observations of Dr. Suckley and myself, as we saw none 

 during a long residence and travels near the Columbia, except one which I 

 supposed to be this, seen at Fort Vancou\er, in Januarjj. I,ike several other 

 birds seen there by Townsend and Xuttall, they seem to have retired more 

 to the south since 1834. 



Dr. Heerniann gi^'es the following, on its habits towards the south : — 



" Whilst ixnsuccessfully liuuting in the Tejon Valley, we liave often jiassed 

 several hours without a single one of this species being in sight, but on 

 bringing down any large game, ere the body Iiad grown cold, these birds 

 might be seen rising above the horizon, and .slowly sweeping towards us, 

 intent upon their share of the prey. Nor, in the absence of the hunter, will 

 his game be exempt from their ravenous appetite, though it be carefully 

 hidden, and covered by ,slirul>liery and lieavy branches ; as I liave known 

 these maurauders to drag forth from its concealment and devour a deer 

 within an hour. Any article of clothing thrown oxnx a carcass will shield 

 it from the vulture, though not from the grizzly bear, wlio little respects 

 :3uch flimsy protection. The California vidture joins to his rapacity an 



