BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 87 



The yellow-headed vulture was observed first at Resistencia, Chaco, 

 on July 8 and 10, 1920. From July 16 to August 1 the species was 

 recorded at Las Palmas, Chaco, and from August 9 to 19 at the 

 Eiacho Pilaga, Formosa. In the locality last named it was more 

 common than the red-headed turkey vulture. At Puerto Pinasco, 

 Paraguay, the yellow-headed vulture was seen on September 1, and 

 at the ranch at Kilometer 80, west of that point, it was recorded on 

 September 8, 9, and 15. One was observed at Lazcano, Uruguay, on 

 February 8, 1921. The bird was found in the same territory as the 

 turkey vulture, often in company with that species, of which it is a 

 counterpart in general appearance, actions, and habits. On cold 

 winter mornings the birds remained in their roosts until the sun had 

 warmed the air, and on cold, cloudy days remained wholly inactive; 

 but in sunny weather I seldom sat down to care for birds that I had 

 killed without one or more of these vultures swinging overhead to 

 observe what I was about. Like the turkey vulture, they have a 

 graceful flight as they quarter tirelessly back and forth in search 

 for food, or soar in great circles high in air. At times they rest in 

 dead trees, or may alight in heavy woods if attracted by any move- 

 ment or activity that seems to promise food. They appear slight in 

 body for their wing expanse, and are tough and hard to kill, [n a 

 wounded individual I noted that the sides of the concave horny 

 tongue tip were capable of being appressed to a considerable degree. 

 The species was readily distinguished in life from the turkey vul- 

 ture by the distinctly yellow head. A male killed near Las Palmar, 

 Chaco, on July 20 had the head colored in a striking manner. The 

 bill was cream buff, shading to vinaceous buff on a broad area that 

 extended onto the forehead, behind the nostrils; side of the head in 

 general, including eyelids, deep chrome; center of crown dark Ty- 

 rian blue, bordered on either side by a broad band of stone green; 

 skin of throat posteriorly deep chrome, becoming paler forward, to 

 shade into olive buff toward base of bill ; space between mandibular 

 rami spotted with dark Tyrian blue ; a dull spot of slate blue beneath 

 the nostrils on either side ; iris carmine ; tarsus cartridge buff, shad- 

 ing to neutral gray on the toes, where the interscutal spaces have a 

 scurfy whitish appearance. 



A female taken at Kilometer 182, Formosa, on August 13, 1920, 

 was preserved as a skeleton. 



The species does not seem to have been seen previously in Uruguay, 

 but I include the Lazcano record without hesitation, though no speci- 

 men was taken, as one bird rested on a fence post while I passed at a 

 distance of 10 meters, so that I had an exceptionally clear view of it. 



The red-headed and yellow-headed vultures have been involved in 

 much confusion, as though easily distinguished in life, in the field, 



