CHAPTER IX. 



February 19 February 25. 



THE TURKEY VULTURE. 



Order Raptores Suborder Sarcorhamphi 



Family Cathartidse Genus Cathartes 



Species Cathartes aura 



Length 26.00 to 32.00; wing, 20.00 to 23.00; tail, n.oo to 12.00. 

 Migration North, February ; south, October. 



"Among the crags, in cavernous deep, 



The vulture rears his brood; 

 Far reaching in his vision's sweep 



O'er valley, plain and wood, 

 And wheresoe'er the quarry lies, 



It cannot 'scape his peering eyes. 

 The traveler from the plain below, 



Sees first a speck upon the sky 

 Then poised on sweeping wings of woe, 



A vulture, bat-like, passes by." 



The family Cathartidse, composed of the American vul- 

 tures, has in it eight species. Three of these, the California, 

 turkey and black vulture, are found in the United States. The 

 last two of these have been identified in the Middle West. The 

 turkey vulture is commonly called the turkey buzzard. 

 Technically speaking, this is incorrect, since the buzzard is a 

 member of the family falconidse and not of the family cathar- 

 tidae. There is a marked difference between these families. 

 The falcons have a short and powerful beak, the upper mandible 



