Catalogue of Birds. 279 



XXXII. — Catalogue of Birds observed on New York, Long 

 and Staten Islands, and the adjacent parts of ' New- 

 Jersey. 



By Geo. N. Lawrence. 



Read April 16, 1866. 



Family VULTURID^E. 



1. Cathartes aura (Linn.). Turkey Buzzard. 

 This species is the only Vulture that is found so far north as 

 the parallel of New York, where it has been considered rare 

 and an irregular visitor. I heard of an individual having been 

 killed at Flushing, L. I., some years ago ; at Rockaway, L. L, 

 on the 4th of July, 1864, I noticed a company of nine sailing 

 overhead in their graceful mode of flight, and by a succession 

 of circles gradually working in a westerly direction. The pre- 

 vious summer I observed a single one circling over a neighbor- 

 ing farm, and a clay or two afterwards saw it sitting quietly in the 

 garden on the same farm, it having been winged by one of the 

 family. On inquiry of an old resident, I found their visits were 

 not unusual when attracted by suitable food. He stated that 

 he had seen on that part of Rockaway Beach which lies 

 between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic, more than a hundred 

 assembled at one time and sitting on the cedars. This portion 

 of the beach is narrow, about five miles in extent, and in most 

 parts covered with a dense growth of cedars. It terminates to 

 the west in a point which is the south shore of the inlet to 

 Jamaica Bay, and is opposite to and only about ten miles dis- 

 tant from the point of Sandy Hook on the coast of New Jersey, 

 in which state this species is abundant. 



Fam. FALCONID^E. 



2. Falco anatum, Bon. Duck Hawk. 

 Not an abundant species, but well known to gunners at the 

 sea-shore, from its boldness. I have a fine specimen which was 



