843 
I. Faminy Vuituripa— Vultures. 
This family is spread over the whole temperate and tropical parts of the 
earth, but the number of species is limited to about twenty. The generic 
characteristics are: bill, strong, rather over the medium length, strongly 
hooked; claws, moderately large, slightly curved; anterior toes connected 
at the base by a web; wings very long; plumage full; head and neck 
generally naked, with or without caruncles. All feed on dead animals, 
and if putrescent, all the better. 
Genus CATHARTES—ZJliger—TURKEY VULTURES. 
Head and upper part of the neck naked, or thinly covered with down ; 
skin of the head wrinkled; bill of moderate length, rather slender, 
straight, and curved at the end; nostrils large, oblong, open, without pro- 
tection; head oblong; wings long, the third and fourth primary feathers 
being generally the longest; tail of moderate length, with twelve feathers ; 
legs and feet strong, of moderate size, covered with scales; claws strong 
and arched, middle toe long, hind one very short. To this genus belong 
the two species of vultures which inhabit Ohio. 
CATHARTES AURA—/inn—TURKEY BUZZARD. 
Wilson’s Amer. Orn., IX., pl. 75, fig. 1; Audubon’s Birds of America, 
oct. ed., L, pl. 2. Plumage brownish black, darker on the neck and up- 
per parts, some of these feathers 
having a purplish lustre; bill ting- 
ed with yellow; head and neck, 
bright red, naked or thinly sprink- 
led with down, skin wrinkled; feet 
flesh-colored, tinged with yellow; 
length of skin, from 30 to 82 in.; 
extent of wings from 6 feet to 6 ¢ 
feet 4 inches; tail 12 inches. No 
specimen in Museum of Cleveland 
Academy of Natural Science. 
At the present time, these birds are to be found distributed over a great 
part of the State, and prior to 1882-4 were very numerous around Cleve- 
land. A favorite roosting place was in the immediate vicinity of where 
the Medical College now stands; but since that period, owing to some un- 
