OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 285 



When the nest is disturbed, the female is said to hover 

 about the head of the intruder in rather close proximity, 

 uttering hoarse unpleasant cries of commingled distress and 

 displeasure ; but never venturing upon an assault. The 

 male-bird is less courageous than his partner on these occa- 

 sions, always remaining at a wary distance. 



The young are perfectly helpless for sometime after being 

 hatched, and utter almost incessantly their cries for food. 

 They are vigorous feeders and very rapid growers. Their 

 appetites are almost insatiable, and the parents are kept 

 pretty busy in supplying them with the necessary articles. 

 Indeed, they often manifest a somewhat provident spirit. Dr. 

 Brewer records an instance where four or five eels, each 

 about two feet long, were discovered in a nest, which con- 

 tained but a single eaglet. 



The eggs are generally two in number. Sometimes three 

 or four constitutes a nest-full. They are spherical in contour, 

 with equally rounded extremities, and have more or less 

 granulated surfaces. The natural color is a dull unspotted 

 white, which becomes changed to a dirty color during the 

 process of incubation. An egg in Dr. Brewer's collection, 

 which \vas obtained by Mr. Wilson in New Jersey, meas- 

 ures 3.00 by 2.75 inches; and another from Louisiana, 

 collected by Dr. Trudeau, measures 2.88 by 2.80 inches. 



Family CathartidSD. American Vultures. 



The birds of this family have the head and a portion of 

 the neck more or less entirely devoid of feathers. The eyes 

 are not overshadowed by a superciliary shield, and the ears 

 are rather small and uncomplicated. The bill is considera- 

 bly elongated, contracted" near the basal end, moderately 

 hooked, and comparatively feeble ; the nostrils are quite 

 large, and lack a bony septum. The wings are very long, 

 full, and powerful ; and the tail of moderate size. The an- 

 terior toes are comparatively long, and furnished with a 

 basal web ; posterior toe, quite short and elevated ; claws, 



