164 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 

 CALIFORNIA VULTURE. 



A.. O. \/./io. 324: CPjeudogryphus calif omianuj.) 



RANGE. 



Coast range of mountains from the northern counties of California to 

 northern Mexico. Their range is very restricted and they are found out- 

 side of these limits only as stragglers. They are usually found at altitudes 

 of from three to five thousand feet from the sea level. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 3.5 to 4 ft.; extent, 9 to 11 ft.; tail, about 1.5 ft. The general 

 color is black. The feathers on the under side of the wings and in mature 

 male birds, the points of the feathers of the shoulder, are white. Feathers 

 on the breast are of a fine silky appearance, resembling hair. The head 

 and neck are bare for the greater part, the feathers of the lower neck meet- 

 ing the bare skin in a beautiful collar. The tail is black and each feather 

 is nearly square across at the tip. The skin on the neck and feet of the 

 male birds is yellow. On the females it is darker. The feet have no 

 talons like an eagle, but resemble those of a domestic turkey. They 

 weigh from twenty to thirty pounds, the males being about five pounds 

 heavier than the females. The color of the eyes is a dark blue. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



The single egg of the Cal. Vulture is laid on the bare rock in small caves 

 or holes in some of the most inaccessable cliffs within their range. This 

 egg is laid during Feb. or March. It is a plain ashy green egg and might 

 almost be called white. The surface is rather rough. 



By permission of "The Condor. 



VULTURE NEST AND EGG. 



