RiDGWAY on the American Vultures. 77 



In general, these remarks apply equally well to var. Uttoralis, 

 though my series of this form is not as extensive as is desirable. 

 Both sexes average a higher plumage than do those of tephrocotis. 

 The abdomen of the male is a very deep pink, and this color is 

 better marked in the edgings of the wing feathers. Two males 

 have the chin, as well as throat, dark chocolate ; in one the gray of 

 the cheeks extends across the throat, which is also the case in two 

 females. 



One specimen, a male, shows the. relationship of the two forms 

 in an interesting manner : the right cheek is chestnut, as in tephro- 

 cotis ; on the left, the auriculars are gray, with darker shafts. 



In conclusion, the above characters are sufficient to correctly 

 determine the sex of any of my specimens without reference to the 

 labels. 



FoKT Shaw, Montana. 



NOTES ON THE AMERICAN VULTURES (SARCORHAM- 

 PHID.^), WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR GE- 

 NERIC NOMENCLATURE. 



BY ROBERT RIDGWAY. 



In 1806, Dumeril established, in the " Zoologie Analytique " 

 (p. 52), the genus Sarxoi-amphus, for the American Vultures in 

 general, no special type being indicated; and in 1811, lUiger 

 (Prodromus Systematis Mammalium et Avium, p. 236) proposed 

 the name Cathartes for the same birds, the diagnoses in each case 

 being so worded as to apply to the entire family, and not to any 

 special type. Dumeril named as his Sarcoramphi, " le condor, le 

 papa, I'oricou, etc.," these being respectively Vultur grypJms, Linn., 

 V. papa, Linn., and V. aiu-icularis, Daud.,* while llliger designated 

 as examples of his genus Cathartes only Vultur papa and V. aura, 

 in the order here given. It therefore appears that Cathartes of 

 llliger is essentially equivalent to Sarcoramp)hus of Dumeril, so far 

 as these two authors alone are concerned, and that these terms as 

 used by them were clearly equivalent to the family iSarcorham- 



* The last an Old World species not belonging to this Ikiiiily. 



