VULTURII'.K. 



1244 



inhabits,'' says Mr. Yarrell, " every group of the natives hu a pair of 

 these vulture* attached to it The birds roost on the trees in the 

 vicinity, or on the fences which bound the iuclosutvs formed for their 

 cattle. They are to a certain degree domiciled and harmless. The 

 people do them no injury : on the contrary, they are clad to M* and 

 encourage them, became they clean the premises of all the oflal and 

 filth they can find. In default of other food they eat frogs, lizards, 

 and snakes." 



Egyptian Vulture (.Vnytrm jurenoplerui}. (Gou;il.) 



SoreonmpAtu papa, the King Vulture, or King of the Vultures. 

 This is the Cozcaquauhtli (Queen of the Vultures) of the Mexicans 

 (Hernandez). The naked skin of the head and neck brilliantly 

 coloured. Beak reddish, with a shade of black ; cere bright orange, 

 prolonged between the nostrils into a comb about an inch and a half 

 long, loose in texture, and falling on either side of the bill when the 

 head is erect Round the eye a scarlet circle ; iris nearly colourless ; 

 side of the head purplish black. Back of the head covered with short 

 down inclining to black. On each side behind the eye several broad 

 and deep wrinkles of the skin, whence rises a thick and prominent 

 fold extending obliquely downwards along the neck, reddish-brown 

 mixed with blue, and marked with many lines of small black hairs. 

 From the bright red upper port of the neck the colour gradually 

 lessens in intensity, fading into orange and yellow towards the lower 

 part Hound the bottom of the neck is a broad ruff of soft, downy, 

 deep ashy-gray feathers. 



Young of the Year, Ac. Deep bluish, with the exception of the 

 abdomen and lateral tail-coverts, which are white. In the next year 

 the young becomes dusky, marked with longitudinal white spots, and 

 up to that time the greater portion of the bnad and neck is block ish- 

 violet The colouring which marks the adult is assumed in the third 

 year, excepting a few black feathers among the upper coverts of the 

 wing. 



With a highly developed sense of smelling and a piercing sight, the 

 expanse and strength of the wing of the King Vulture enables it to 

 reach a loay height, and there remain, bringing its powers of obser- 

 vation to bear over a wide tract of country. Patient under hunger, 

 this vulture is said never to attack birds and quadrupeds, however 

 small, while they are alive, though, when pressed with hunger from 

 the want of iU favourite carrion, it will feed upon snake* and lizards. 

 This bird is found occasionally in Florida, in the United States, which 

 is probably the northern limit It is common in Paraguay, but, 

 according to D'Acara, not going beyond 32" 8. lat Between the 

 limits, especially towards the central parts of America, it appears to 

 : > ,:. ! IBt, 



King Vulture (Sarcoramphui papa). 



TMur leuconotus, the Chinese Vulture. This bird is brownish-black ; 

 lower part of the back white, as ore the wings beneath and the inside 

 of the thighs ; when the wings are closed the white on the back is 

 not seen ; head brownish-black with *hort dark hairs ; back of the 

 neck covered with whitish down, the front of it livid flesh-colour and 

 bore ; at the bottom of the back of the neck is a dirty white ruff; on 

 each side white feathers lap over the bottom of the neck and the crop ; 

 the cere is blackish ; the bill horn-colour, black at the tip j iris dark ; 

 legs dirty brown-white with black scales ; claws black. It is the size 

 of a turkey. 



Chinese Vulture ( 1'tiltur leuconottu). 



