6 U, 8. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



CATHARTES BURRO VIANUS, Gas sin. 



Biirrongli*s ViUtiu'e. 



Cathartes burrovianus, Casiin, Proc. Acad. Pliilada. II, 212. (1845.) 

 The smallest of all vultures. Resembling C. ouco, but smaller and without a ruff on the neck, as in that species. Plumage 

 on the neck ascending behmd, as in C. atralus, but rather short, wings long, tail rounded, rather long. 



Entire plumage deep uniform black, deeper and more uniform than in C. aura, shafts of quills white, head and neck red. 



Total length, about 22 inches ; wing, 18 mches ; tail 8j inches. 



Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz ; Mazatlan, Lower California. Spec, in Mas. Acad. Philadelphia. 



This little vulture, the smallest of the entire group of vultures, is an inhabitant of the coasts 

 of Mexico and Lower California, of the former both on the Pacific ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and very likely extends its range along the shores of the Pacific into the territory of the 

 United States. It can readily be distinguished by its small size, and the ascending feathers on 

 the back of the neck, totally unlike the rufi" of C. aura, which, in general aspect, it resembles. 



The above four species are all the vultures ascertained to inhabit the United States. In 

 addition to them, it is quite likely that the king vulture of South America, Sarcoramphus 

 papa,, may venture occasionally into the States on the southern frontier, being known to appear 

 at times in Mexico. The sacred vulture of Bartram, Sarcorhamphus sacer, is a species described 

 by that author, in the last century, as abundant in Florida, but has not been observed or 

 identified anywhere since his time. This has tended to throw a doubt on its existence, but 

 recent information renders it probable that this, or at least a species different from the vultures 

 just described, is found about Lake Okechobee, in Southern Florida, where it is called king 

 buzzard. The verification of this statement by actual specimens would be one of the most 

 important discoveries yet to be made in North American ornithology. The following is 

 Bartram's description : 



" Bill long and straight almost to the point, where it is hooked or bent suddenly down, and sharp ; the head and neck bare 

 of feathers nearly down to the stomach, when the feathers begin to cover the skin, and soon become long and of a soft te.xture, 

 forming a ruff or tippet, in which the bird, by contracting his neck, can hide that as well as his head ; the bare skin on the neck 

 appears loose and wrinkled, which is of a bright yellow color, intermixed with coral red ; the hinder part of the neck is nearly 

 covered with short stiff hair; and the skin of this part of the neck is of a dense purple color, gradually becoming red as i 

 approaches the yellow of the sides and fore part. The crown of the head is red ; there are lobed lappets of a reddish orange 

 color, which lay on the base of the upper mandible. The plumage of the bird is generally white or cream color, except llie quill 

 feathers of the wings and two or three rows of the coverts, which are beautiful dark brown ; the tail, which is rather large and 

 white, is tipped with this dark brown or black ; the legs and feet of a clear white ; the eye is encircled with a gold colored iris, 

 the pupil black." — Bartram, Travels in Florida, l(C. 1791, p. 150. 



