I JO Ridgway on Sarcorhamphus requatorialis Sharpe. [April 



a query, Colombia. The supposed new species was based in 

 part on a specimen living (in 1873) in the Zoological Gardens at 

 Amsterdam which was "apparently fully adult, with a perfectly 

 formed erect wattle, but brown in colour all over," and partly on 

 some statements made by Professor Orton in the 'Annals of 

 Natural History' for 1871, pages 1S6, 1S7. 



In a paper published in the 'Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornith- 

 ological Club/ April, 1SS0, pp. 77-84, I called attention (on p. 

 81) to a Condor then living in the Central Park Menagerie, New 

 York City, captured alive, when at least three months old, on 

 Mount Cauquences, Chili, received at the menagerie July 23, 1S75, 

 and which in December, 1S7S, or more than three years later, 

 corresponded entirely with the Sarcorhamphus cequatorialis of 

 Sharpe. 



In the 'Proceedings' of the Zoological Society of London for 

 1S83, page 349, Mr. Sclater mentions and figures (pi. xxxv) "a 

 Condor from Peru, which had been presented to the Society by 

 Mr. John J. North, on the 13th of June, 1S77, and which was 

 still living in the Society's Gardens." It is further stated that 

 "after six years it was in nearly the same uniform brown plumage 

 as that in which it had been originally received." Mr. Sclater, 

 it was announced, "had now come to the conclusion that this 

 must be a specimen of the ' Condor pardo\ or Brown Condor, 

 spoken of by Mr. J. Orton, and subsequently named Sarcorham- 

 phus ceqicatorialis by Sharpe in his 'Catalogue of the Birds of 

 the British Museum' (p. 21.)." 



The excellent figure given represents a bird exactly like that 

 in the Central Park Menagerie, when seen by me in December, 

 1S7S. 



The Central Park specimen having recently died and been se- 

 cured by the National Museum, the following account of its pro- 

 gressive changes in plumage may be of interest as deciding the 

 status of 6". cequatorialis : — 



July 23, 1S75. — Specimen received at the Central Park Menagerie, said 

 to be at least three months old when captured. Plumage uniform snuff- 

 brown, the head and neck similar, but darker, the bill blackish. 



April 1, 1S76. — Memorandum by Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence: "Condor, 

 said to be 9 months [i.e., 12 months] old, bill black; cere and naked sides 

 of head grayish black ; head sparsely covered with short downy feathers 

 of a smoky black; plumage in general dark snuff-brown." 



