1SS5.] Ridgway on Sarcorhamphus seq.uatorialis Sharpe. ^7^ 



August 1S77. — Memorandum by Mr. Lawrencs : "No change, except 

 the development of the ruff, which is colored like the back." 



December, 1878- — No appreciable change in plumage. 



February 10, 18S0. — Under this date, Mr. \V. A. Conklin, Superinten- 

 dent of the Central Park Menagerie, wrote me as follows: — "The 

 plumage remains still unchanged, except that the ruff about the neck is 

 somewhat fuller, and has a little sprinkle of white through the down .... 

 It has not increased since then [the date of its arrival at the Menagerie] 

 either in size or weight. The bill is black at the base, the apical half 

 ivory-white. Head bare ; no wattles ; iris dark brown." 



February 23, 1S80. — Memorandum by Mr. Lawrence: "The ruff is now 

 more full, but no appearance of becoming white; underneath [the sur- 

 face ?] the feathers [of the ruff ?] are whitish." 



November 11, 1S84. — The specimen to which the above remarks and 

 memoranda appertain received in the flesh from Mr. Conklin, it having 

 died a day or two previously. The plumage is now in all respects that oj 

 the adult common Condor {Sarcorhamphus gryphus), the general color 

 being black, with white ruff, and grayish white or pale gray wing-mark- 

 ings. No 'comb,' but throat with a slight 'dewlap,' and lower part of 

 foreneck with a small pendulous wattle. Iris dark hazel; neck dirty 

 yellowish white, slightly tinged with dull purplish flesh-color, the head 

 more purplish ; bill white, black at base, and dusky on culmen ; feet black- 

 ish. Length, 45.50 inches ; extent of wings, 103.25 inches ; weight 17 lbs., 

 the specimen in excellent condition. By dissection the bird proved to be 

 a female. 



After carefully weighing all the testimony, it therefore seems 

 very doubtful whether more than one species of Condor exists in 

 South America. It is quite likely, however, that this species 

 {Sarcorhamphus gryphus) varies in size or other characters in 

 different parts of its range, and that therefore two or more 

 geographical races or subspecies exist ; but in all probability 

 there does not exist in any museum sufficient material to deter- 

 mine this question. 



At any rate, it would appear to be established beyond doubt 

 that Sarcorhamphus gryphus is uniform brown when young, 

 and that it wears this plumage until at least seven years old. It 

 would seem, also, that the 'comb,' or erect wattle, peculiar to 

 the male, is developed before the bird assumes the adult plumage, 

 as is attested by the living specimen in the Amsterdam Zoological 

 Garden, referred to by Air. Sharpe. 



