550 THE TURKEY VULTURE. 
on breast; wing-quills and rectrices light dusky below, with whitish shafts; pri- 
maries deeply emarginate, the tips considerably separated in flight, very flexible; 
iris brownish gray; bill dull white; cere bright red. Young: Similar, but dusky 
on head and neck, with downy grayish brown feathers; bill blackish. Nestlings: 
Covered with heavy white down, but head naked,—light bluish black. Length 
27.00-32.00 (685.8-812.8) ; extent about six feet; wing 22.00 (558.8) ; tail 11.50 
(292.1) ; bill including cere 2.20 (55.9). 
Recognition Marks.—Eagle size or less; naked red head; black plumage 
nearly uniform; soaring flight. 
Nesting.—Nest: in hollow trees, stumps or fallen logs, or in crannies of 
cliffs; unlined. Eggs: 2, rarely 3, elliptical-ovate, dull white, greenish or buffy 
white, spotted and blotched irregularly with rich dark brown. Av. size, 2.80 x 1.95 
(71.1% 49.5). Season; c. May 10-June 1; one brood. 
General Range.—Temperate North America from New Jersey, Ohio Valley, 
Saskatchewan region and British Columbia southward to Patagonia and the Falk- 
land Islands. Casual in New England. 
Range in Washington.—Common summer resident and migrant east of the 
Cascades ; much less common but regular at lower altitudes west of the Mountains. 
Migrations.—Spring: c. Apr. 15; Tacoma, Apr, 11, 1906. Fall: c. Oct. 30. 
Authorities.—Cathartes aura (Linn.) Cassin, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 
1858, 4. T. C&S. Rh. D'. Ra. D. Ss". Ss?. B. E. 
Specimens.—Prov. C. E. 
THE crowning touch of a summer day is afforded by the sight of a small 
company of Turkey Vultures lazily drifting across the middle distance soar- 
ing, shifting, wheeling, weaving endless circles, in restful monotony of mid- 
summer content. It is altogether the witchery of wings which provokes our 
admiration; but when we pause to think upon it, we bless the wisdom of the 
Creator in enabling these dusky scavengers to maintain a graceful aloofness. 
As a decorative feature in a landscape the Vulture possesses unqualified value. 
As a subject of nearer inquiry he becomes repulsive in the extreme. 
But before we treat of the less pleasant things, let us note more carefully 
that majestic flight. If caught upon the ground the Vulture pitches forward, 
gives an awkward flap or two to clear his footing, rises sharply, almost imme- 
diately catching the air in his ample wings, and begins to sail. Henceforth, 
with motionless pinions he tilts and turns and sweeps about in stately curves, 
or glides swiftly off at will in any direction. How does he do it! It is easy 
to see how a bird, moving with the wind and falling sharply, may wheel and 
breast the wind more sharply still, using his acquired momentum to gain a 
greater height than the one originally occupied. In this the momentum is 
like the pull of the string which enables the kite to shoot rapidly upward thru 
the air. But what shall we say of a bird, which, without momentum, but still 
on motionless wing, rises steadily against the wind? Not only rises, but 
makes rapid progress forward, as well, in a direction contrary to the wind. 
