•I'JO mnns of iu.inoih. 



Genvs CATHARTES li.i.uiER. 



Valhai-lfs Iluo. rroilroniiiH. isll. -Ski. Typi- il>y i-liiiiiimtlon). Viilliir aura LtNS. 

 llhinovruphnu IliDOW. in Hist. X. Am. U. ill.M!^4,Xn.:m. Same tyix'. 



Gen. t'H.iB. Sizi' inuillum iiilpinit oi|iial to Xeniihroii). the wineB anJ tall well ilr>- 

 vi'lopeil. till' remlKos very lone and liirKe. Head anil upper portinn of the neok naked; 

 the 8kin HiiioMth, or merely wrinkled: a semicin-nlar puteh of antri>r»e|prlKtleR before the 

 eye. Nostril very lart'e. with both endt* broadly rounded. oecupyinB the whole of the 

 nnnal orlflee. t'ere eontraeted anteriorly, and iih deep a.i broad: lower nmndlble not so 

 deep as the tipper. PluniiiKe bi-Rlnnlni; gradually on the neck, with broad, rounded, 

 normal feathers. Ends of primaries reachinu beyond the end of the tail; third or fourth 

 iiuill longest: outer live with inner webs appreciably sinuati'd. Tuil much roimded; 

 middle toe sllehtly longer than the tarsus. Scxos alike. 



Cathartes aura (Linn.) 



TURKEY BUZZABD. 



Popular BynonymB. Turkey Vulture; Buzzard. 



Vullitr aura LiNN. S. N. ed. 12, i, 1-r.fi. l£;.-WiLS. Am. Orn. ix. ISM, %, pi. 75, lie 1. 

 Calharli-i'aiirn Il.LIU. IXU.— NuTT.Man. i.lSi2. IS.— Aui). Orn. liloR. ii,1835, ■S6: v,1839, 

 S)i»,pl. 151: Synop. ISM, 3: B. Am. i, 1840.15 pi 2.— Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, i. 

 -Baikd, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 1.- CouES. Key, 1872,222: Check List, 187<, No. :«J5; 

 2iled. 18S2.No. 537:B. N. W. 1874. :!79.— Rinnw. Nom. N. Am. li. 1881, No. 454. 

 lihinotirviihus aura RiDOW. In Hist. N. Am. B. iii,1874. M4. 



Had. Whole of tropii 111 ami temperate Anieriea. Inoluciinu West Indies; north to 

 southern New Enelaml, t)ntario and the Saskatchewan, south to Chill, rataRonla, and 

 Falkland Islands. Resident south of 40°. 



Sp. Chah. Lencth, about 27.00-30.0(1; extent of wines, about C feet: weicht, 4-5 pounds. 

 WiiiK, 20.00-23.00: tall, 11.00-12.00; culmen, about 1.00; tarsus, 2.25-2.30; middle toe, 2.50; 

 outer. 1.55; Inner. 1.25; posterior, .80. Iris brown; tarsi and toes dirty whitish, tinKed with 

 yellow or flesh color. 



,lff»/(. Bill ehalk-white; naked skin of the head and neck livid crimson, approach- 

 ing dilute carmine on the cere, and sometimes with whitish papilla' on the crown and 

 before the eye. General plumiiKo dull black, this deepest and uniform on the lower 

 parts; upper parts with a violet lustre. changinK to Kreenisli posteriorly, all the feathers 

 of the dorsal recion and the wind-coverts passiuK into iiitht brownish on their borders, 

 rriniaries and tail-feathers dull black, their shafts clear pale brown; sometimes nearly 

 white. Mai,' (No. 12.015, Maryland: M. F. Force): Wing. 22.00; tail, 12.00; culmen, .95: 

 tarsus,2.30: middle toe. 2.50; outer, 1.55: inner. 1.25; posterior. .80. Female (No. 49,(381, 

 Cump Grant, Arizona: Dr. K. Palmer): Win(;,20.00; tall. 11.50. 



rou7tg. Bill, and naked skin of the head and neck, livid blackish, the occiput and 

 nape with more or less of whitish down: plumiiBo more uniformly blackish, the brown- 

 ish borders above less distinct; the reflectlonB of the plumoKo rather green than viola- 

 ceous. 



The Turkey Buzzard is a very abundant bird in the southern 

 half of the State, and is a permanent resident at least as far north 

 as Mt. Carmel, though it is only during clear bright days that 

 specimens are seen in midwinter. In the extreme northem portion 



