THE CARRION CROW. 19 



Coincident with the appearance of the first pal- 

 metto is that of another semi-tropical form, though 

 this time winged, namely, the black vulture or car- 

 rion crow, Catharista atrata Bartram. In recent 

 years the known range of this vulture has gradually 

 extended northward, until now it is recorded as a 

 resident in small numbers in southern Ohio and In- 

 diana.* In the south it is everywhere abundant and, 

 being a voracious and indiscriminate feeder on car- 

 rion and all sorts of animal refuse, it is an efficient 

 and almost indispensable scavenger. In the vicinity 

 of all southern cities it is very tame, perching in flocks 

 on the roofs, fences and trees, and fearlessly swoop- 

 ing down in the streets and alleys upon any object 

 which presents the appearance of animal offal. 



In southern Georgia and all of Florida the rail- 

 ways are ballasted with sand. The engines burn pine 

 wood instead of coal. As a consequence the flakes 

 of soot and burning cinders are large and abundant. 

 Fires alongside the railway are very common. Since 

 all bridges, except those across the largest streams, 

 are of wood supported by piles, the burning of some 

 one of them is of common occurrence, and traffic is 

 thereby oftentimes much delayed. From the sand 

 ballast, and from the sandy plains over which the 

 roads, for the most part, pass, arises a fine dust, 

 which, mixed with the cinders,, finds its way through 

 car windows and doors and settles over everything 



*Vide Twenty-second Annual Report, Department of Geology and 

 Natural Resources of Indiana, 1897, p. 768. 



