BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 91 



the eastern foothills of the Andes, along the entire western border 

 of the Republic. 



CATHARTES AURA JOTA (Molina) 



Vulcur Jota Molina, Sagg. Stor. Nat. Chili, 1782, p. 265. (Chile.) 



On April 25 and 27 turkey vultures were observed near Concon, 

 in the Intendencia of Valparaiso, Chile. No specimens were secured 

 so that these notes are allocated here solely on geographical evidence. 



CORAGYPS URUBU FOETENS (Lichtenstein) 



Cathartes foetens Lichtenstein, Verz. Ausg. Saiig. und Vog. Zool. Mus. 

 Kon. Univ. Berlin, 1818, p. 30. (Paraguay.) 



The black vulture, common in the warmer regions that I visited, 

 had habits identical with those of the species in the southern United 

 States. It was recorded as follows : Resistencia, Chaco, July 8, 1920 ■, 

 Las Palmas, Chaco, July 17 to August 1 ; Riacho Pilaga, Formosa, 

 August 7 to 19; Formosa, Formosa, August 23 and 24; Puerto 

 Pinasco, Paraguay, September 1 to 23 (seen west to a point 110 

 kilometers from the Rio Paraguay ; Las Flores, Maldonado, Uruguay, 

 Januar}^ 22, 1921; San Vicente, Uruguay, January 26; Tunuyan, 

 Mendoza, March 22 and 24; Tapia, Tucuman, April 11; Concon, 

 Chile, April 25. About temporary camps of woodcutters in the 

 Chaco these birds gathered in flocks to secure offal from the killing 

 pens where meat was prepared for human consumption. In cattle 

 country carcasses of horses and other animals offered a supply of 

 food. In the town of Rio Negro, Uruguay, on Februarj^ 18 I saw 

 a tamed bird running about in the streets, with no fear of dogs 

 or pedestrians. It was of interest to note that in the Chaco I saw 

 three species of vultures in view at the same time on several occasions, 

 while a white-breasted bird seen soaring high in air may have been 

 the king vulture, so that it may be possible there to find four forms 

 of this family together. 



The matter of subspecies in the black vulture is still open to 

 question, as in a limited series I do not find any sharply trenchant 

 difference between northern and southern birds. Todd ^^ in a recent 

 consideration of the bird does not recognize geogi'aphic races. 

 Specimens from Florida and Georgia have wing measurements 

 ranging, irrespective of sex, from 420 to 436 mm. In one from 

 Chile the wing is 405 mm., while in an adult female that I killed 

 on April 11, 1921 (skull alone preserved), the wing measured 433 

 mm. It is possible that there are more than two forms involved. I 

 have followed current usage in recognition of a southern race as the 

 specimens available are not sufficient to enable an independent 

 opinion in the matter. Cathartes foetens of Lichtenstein is given in 



«» Ann. Carnegie Mu.s., vol. 14, 1922, p. 142. 



