154 VULTURES. 



Sai'CorlxaiTiplxi , 



Large birds with naked heads, large wings fitted for 

 strong flight ; feet adapted for walking, not for grasping ; 

 food, usually animal matter found dead and sometimes par- 

 tially decayed. Sexes, similar. 



A. DUSKY VULTURES. Cathartidae. 



Dusky throughout with no prominent white markings; 

 neck without spinal ruff of elongated feathers. (Note :- the 

 small figs.* representing birds in silhouette with extended 

 wings are flight contours as seen from below, see fig. 187*etc.) 



a. Naked-breasted Vultures. Cathartes^ 



Bill, short andthick ; nostrils, open ; tail, long and round 

 ed, upper breast, naked, but concealed by elongated feathers 

 on its sides. Eggs, 2, whitish mottled with brown; young, 

 covered with whitish down. 



1. TURKEY VULTURE, C. auka. 27.50; dark-brown 

 with a slight bluish iridescence; head, a livid red, fig. 187 

 America, from N. J., the Ohio Valley, 

 and Saskatchewan southward through 

 a portion of the Bahamas and West In- 

 dies to Patagonia ; casual in N. E. Flight, 

 steady, with long sweeping curves, sail- 

 ing most of the time without flapping, 

 sometimes at a considerable height 

 where it moves in wide circles. Food, 

 mainly freshly killed animals, Incap- 

 abl e of producing any vocal sound save 

 a kind of hiss. Social, gathering in 

 large flocks during the day and resting 

 together in larger numbers during the 

 night. 



