604 



COLLEGE ZOOLOGY 



The nine or ten species of American vultures are weaker than 

 the other Falconiformes. They live on carrion and are valu- 

 able in warm countries as scavengers. The species occurring in 

 the United States are the turkey-vulture or turkey-buzzard, 

 Cathartes aura, the black vulture or carrion crow, Catharista 

 urubu, and the California vulture, Gymnogyps calif ornianus . 



The California vulture 

 and the condor, Sar- 

 corhamphus gryphus 

 (Fig. 493), which lives 

 in the Andes Moun- 

 tains, are two of the 

 largest of flying birds. 

 The secretary-bird, 

 Gypogeranus secre- 

 tarius, of South Africa, 

 is the only represent- 

 ative of the family 

 Gypogeranid^e. Its 

 common name was 

 suggested by the re- 

 semblance of some 

 plumes on its head to 

 a bunch of quills stuck 

 behind the ear of a clerk. Secretary-birds feed on frogs, toads, 

 insects, and snakes. 



The Falconid^e are the falcons, tropical goshawks, and 

 caracaras. About seventeen species of the genus Falco are 

 found in North America. The white gyr falcon, F. islandus, 

 inhabits the Arctic regions; the prairie-falcon, F. mexicanus, 

 occurs in the western United States; the duck-hawk, F. per- 

 egrinus anatum, ranges over both North and South America; 

 the pigeon-hawk, F. columbarius columbarius, is a North Ameri- 

 can species; and the sparrow-hawk, F. sparverius sparverius in- 

 habits North America east of the Rocky Mountains. All of 



FlG. 493. — Condor, Sarcorhamphus gryphus 

 (From Evans.) 



