594 ORNITHOLOGY. 



June, these being observed sailing over the plains toward the foot-hills of 

 the Sierra Nevada. In the Interior, however, it was abundant throughout 

 the summer, wlien it was found in nearly all localities; but during the 

 winter months they seemed to have all retired to the southward, none 

 having been seen in the latitude of Carson City earlier th;iu the middle 

 of March. It was more numerous in the vicinity of Pyramid Lake than 

 anywhere else, for there the surf cast up many dead fish, thus affording 

 them a plentiful supply of food. At this place they were almost constantly 

 seen sailing quite low along the shore of the lake searching for their food. 

 During rainy weather we frequently observed them perched among the 

 cotton-wood trees along the river in such numbers as to completely cover 

 the branches. Throughout the Interior the distribution of the Turkey- 

 Buzzard was so general that it might be met with in any sort of locality; 

 thus, on the 19th of April we shot a fine specimen from the top of a dead 

 pine in a ravine of the Sierra Nevada, near Carson City, the spot being in 

 the midst of a dense forest, while on the 29th of June a group, consisting 

 of about a dozen individuals, was seen near "Sand Springs" Station, on the 

 Carson Desert, and one of them killed with a rifle. They had collected 

 about a small pool of putrid water in a portion of the desert so completely 

 sterile as to be almost devoid of even the usual alkaline shrubs. Through- 

 out the country to the eastward, the Turkey Buzzard was continually met 

 with, both in the valleys and on the mountains, and at all elevations, the 

 latest individual of the season being seen October 3d, at the "City of 

 Hocks," in southern Idaho (latitude about 42°). In securing No. 130 of 

 the collection, we went to an amount of trouble worthy of a better result. 

 It was perched upon a high crag of the northern peak of the island, several 

 hundred feet above us, but even at this distance its head appeared to be 

 j)artly white, as if there might be a ruff of feathers of this color across the 

 occiput ; this appearance was only more distinct as we scanned it closely 

 through a field-glass, so it was determined to secure the specimen if it were 

 possible to do so. We accordingly began climbing cautiously toward it, 

 but long before getting within range it flew. We kept on, however, until 

 aiTived nearly to the spot where it had been perched, and sitting down to 

 rest, had remained there but a few moments when it was observed sailing 



