CHERRIE : ORNITHOLOGY OF THE ORINOCO REGION. 339 



effect is brownish black, but when looked at closely there is seen to 

 be a strong wash of dusky greenish bronze over all. There is no ruff 

 about the neck ; the bare part of which is much shorter than in 

 pernigra or aura, and the feathering extends well up on the back 

 almost to the nape. The character most distinctive about the head is 

 probably the fleshy caruncles sparsely scattered along the sides of the 

 neck and (at least in adults) across the nape. In skins of this species 

 which I have examined, the tips of the folded wings extend beyond 

 the tip of the tail while in C. pernigra the tips of the wings rarely 

 reach to the end of the tail. Pelzeln's description of this vulture is 

 full and clear and requires no modification except in regard to the 

 color of the shafts of the primaries which are said to be white both 

 above and below ("scapis ren>igum primariarum supra et subtus 

 albis") ; I have found the color of the upper side of the shafts of the 

 primaries to depend entirely on the age of the feather. Freshly 

 moulted primaries have the shaft dark rich seal brown in color, but 

 with exposure this color rapidly fades to an ivory white ; in tlie same 

 way the webs of the primaries become more bronzy brown in hue, 

 the steel blue or purplish sheen of the freshly moulted feathers rapidly 

 fading. The under sides of the shafts of the primaries are white in 

 every stage, but in some of the older quills they become a dirty 

 yellowish white. Only four specimens were available for comparison, 

 the measurements of which are given below. 



J' 3750 B I. M. San Mateo de Cai- 



cara, River Ori- 

 noco, Venez. 



c? 5207 " Caicara, River Ori- 



noco, Venez. 



$ 131945 U. S. N. M. Georgetown, 



British Guiana, 

 34984 " Brazil, 



Gypagus papa (Linnaeus). 

 Vultur papa Linn., Syst. Nat., I, p. 86, 1758 (Brazil). 



Native name Rey de Zamuro. Noted everywhere along the Ori- 

 noco and while not common, it could not be classed as rare. vSpeci- 

 mens were collected at Caicara. 



Catharista urubu BRASiLiENSis (Bouapartc). 

 Cathartcs hrasilicnsis Bonap., Consp. Av. I, 1850, p. 59. 

 Cathartcs atrotus Berlepsch, Ibis 1884; p. 438 (Angostura). 



