74 Bird Studies. 



The birds nest in old buildings, steeples, and belfries as well as in hollow 

 trees and sometimes in holes in banks. The eggs vary in number from four 

 to eight and even nine, are pure white, about an inch and two thirds long and 

 rather more than an inch and a quarter in their smaller diameter. 



The birds are found throughout North America, becoming rare toward 

 the northern border of the United States and ranging but little farther north. 

 South, they are found through Mexico. They breed from Southern New 

 York and Connecticut south. 



There are two kinds of vultures that frequent the vicinity of houses both 



in towns and country throughout the Southeastern United States. Both 



T k V It re 'la-ve bare heads and are dark in color. The one with the 



cathartes aura (Linn.), bare skin on the head black, general plumage intense 



anil glossy black, and tail short and very squarely cut is the 



Black Vulture. Black Vulture. Its length is about two feet, and though 



Catharista atrata (Bartr,). i . ,i •. 11 *, • 1 • i j.\ 



shorter than its ally, it is a heavier and more compactly 

 built bird. It does not range or breed as far north as its congener, being 

 uncommon north of North Carolina, and breeding generally to the south of 

 that State. The eggs are faint bluish white in color with sparse markings and 

 washes of varying shades of brown. They are about three inches long and 

 two inches in their other diameter, and are laid generally on the ground 

 without any nest structure proper, but in unfrequented and thick places, 

 under bushes or palmettoes. 



The Turkey Buzzard is the Vulture with the bare skin of the head 

 bi^ight red. The general plumage is black with a decidedly brownish tinge, 

 and the tail is longer and more rounded than in the Black Vulture. About 

 thirty inches long, it is a slimmer and lighter bird in weight. Its range is 

 more northern, regularly as far north as central New Jersey, beginning to 

 breed a little to the south of that State. 



Its eggs are not quite as large as those of its ally. They are rather 

 more than two inches and four fifths long and about an inch and nine tenths 

 broad. Similar in general color, they are more thickly and distinctly 

 marked, and are laid sometimes in a hollow log, or in a cavity in rocks, but 

 more frequently on the ground and without any nest material. Immature 

 birds of both kinds of Buzzards have the head and neck sparsely covered 

 with feathers of a dusky color and downy or fur like character. 



Both birds are of great use to man, being untiring in finding and con- 



