80 EiDGWAY on the American Vultures. 



-< GEnops, Sharpe, Cat. Ace. Brit. Miis., I, June, 1874, 28. 



-< '' Gypagus" YiFALi.., Enc. Meth., Ill, 1823, 1173 (not of Analyse, 

 1816). 



[The type of this genus is certainly quite as distinct generically from 

 Cathartes aura as Gyparchus papa is from Sarcorhamphus gryphus, and 

 much more so than C. aura is from Catharista atrata. Indeed, every part 

 of its external, and many points of its internal structure, stamp it as one 

 of the best marked generic types in the family. I am constrained to 

 believe that authors who do not admit its distinctness as a genus have 

 formed their opinion hastily, and Avithout recourse to requisite material, 

 although the skin alone is quite sufficient to show numerous radical differ- 

 ences from C. aura. In the enumeration of the diagnostic characters of 

 this genus in " History of North American Birds" (Vol. Ill, pp. 337, 

 338), and illustrated, in part, on pages 355 and 356 of that work, a very 

 important one was overlooked, viz. the possession of fourteen rectrices, in 

 which " Vullur " californianus apparently differs from all other Sarcorham- 

 phidce. Since Mr. Sharpe bases a new genus (Pseudogyps) on such a 

 character alone, he may now be willing to admit the validity of my genus 

 Pseud ogryph us. ] 



(4.) Cathartes, Illiger. 



<; Vultur, Linn. 



<: Cathartes, Illig., Prodr., 1811, 236 (no type; includes Vultur papa, 

 L., and V. aura, L., in the order here given ; diagnosis that of tha family). 



= Cathartes, Bonap., Rev. et Mag. Zool., 1854, 530 (V. aura, L., and 

 V. iota, Mol., = V. aura ?). — Sundev., Ofv. Kongl. Vet.-Ak. Forh., 

 1874, 38 (restricted to V. aura). 



-^''Catharista," Vieill., Analyse, 1816, 21. — Gray, Hand-1., I, 

 1869, 3. 



= Rhinogryphus, Ridgw., in B. B. & R., Hist. N. Am. B., Ill, Jan., 



1874, 343 (type, Vultur aura, L.). 



-=c CEnops, Sharpe, Cat. Ace. Brit. Mus., I, June, 1874, 25 (type, 

 Vultur aura, L. ; includes Pscudogryphus ! ). 



(5.) Catharista, Vieillot. 



<; " Vxdiur," Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept., I, 1807, 53 (nee Linn.). 



-c: Catharista, Vieill., Analyse, 1816, 21 (no type ; includes " Vautour 

 urubu " := Vultur urubu, Vieill., and V. aura, " Sonnini, edit, de 

 Buff'on"). 



= Coragyps, " Geoffr.," Bonap., Rev. et Mag. Zool., 1854, 530 

 (includes Vullur urubu, Vieill., and C. hrasiliensis, Bp.*j. 



= Catharista, Ridgw., in B. B. & R., Hist. N. Am. B., HI, Jan., 1874, 

 350 (restricted to C. atrata, " Bartr."). 



* Nee Vultur hrasiliensis, Briss.,= Cathartes burrovianus, Cass.! 



