328 CATHARTES AURA. 



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This family, in our section, is represented by two genera. The manubrium is small, 

 abruptly truncated, and not forked. The furcula is stout, much flattened by lateral expan- 

 sion near the base which is moderately wide and produced downward into a very long point, 

 but toward the middle, the bone becomes rounded and the terminal expansion is not very 

 prominent, while the furcula near it is not contracted nor bent downward. The marginal 

 indentations are always four, either open or inclosed. The bill is stong, well-curved, with 

 the cutting edge of upper mandible nearly straight. The tarsus is long, naked for its en- 

 tire length, and is covered with small, circular scales. The feet are small and the toes, 

 weak, especially the posterior, and are without grasping power. The wings are long and 

 pointed, and the tail is moderately long. There is no nasal septum. 



GENUS I. CATHARTES. THE NAKED-BREASTED VULTURES. 



GEN. CH. Bill, short and thick. Head and neck, destitute of feathers, and there is a wide naked space on the breast. 

 Tail, tony and rounded. Sternum, short, not exceeding twice its width in lenyth. The two outer marginal indentations are 

 enclosed, but the inner are open. Furcula, very wide at base. 



The sterno-trachealis is quite thick, but there are no other laryngeal muscles. The inferior larynx is very smnll, and 

 there are no ty in pan i form or semilunar membranes, while the lower portions of bronchials are membraneous. The trachea 

 is much flattened throughout. The oesophagus is dilated near the middle into a very large crop, and the walls are usually 

 very thin. The proventricuhis is very large, with the walls quite thick, and composed of numerous, small, simple, glands, 

 arranged in a zonular band which measures from TOO to I'25 in width. Thestomach is small, somewhat globular in form, 

 with quite thick walls, lined with a hard, rugose membrane. There is a pyloric lobe, '50 in diameter. The fold of the du- 

 odenum is long, measuring from 3'00 to 5'00, antl incloses a small, irregularly formed pancreas which only occupies n short 

 portion of its entire length, near stomach. Coeca, wanting. Both lobes of the liver are short, thick, and nearly equal in 

 size. The heart is large and triangular in form. The spleen is an oval-shaped body situated on the proven triculus. There 

 is but one species within our limits. 







CATHARTES AURA. 



Turkey Buzzard. 

 Cathartes aura ILL., Prod.; 1811, 336. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout, with the keel slightly arched. Tongue, long, fleshy, concave 

 above, and the edges are provided with numerous, hard papillae which point backward. The tip is rounded but not bilid. 

 Sexes, similar in color. 



COLOR. Adult. Uniform dark-brown throughout, with a bluish iridescence on both surfaces, and the feathers of the 

 wings are edged with yellowish-brown and whitish. 



Youny. Quite similar to the adult, but with the feathers less iridescent and more generally edged with whitish, and 

 those beneath are lighter. 



Nestlings. Are, at first, covered with a dirty-white down, then gradually assume the plumage last described. Head 

 and neck, flesh color, and covered with short, black hairs, iris, and bill, whitish, feet, pinkish-brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is a little variation in plumage, some specimens being darker or lighter than the type. This species mny be rec- 

 ognized by the red head and colors as described. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout North America, south of 

 latitude 40; rare north of this point but straggling into New England and even as far north as Canada. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of female specimens from Florida. Length, 27'25; stretch, 75-00; wing, 24'00; tail, 12'25; 

 bill, 1'03; tarsus, 2'50. Longest specimen, 28'25; greatest extent of wing, 73 - 00; longest wing, 27'00; tail, I2'50; bill, 1' 10; 

 tarsus, 2-70. Shortest specimen, 26'50; smallest extent of wing, 68'00; shortest wing, 2r<X>; tail, 11 00; bill, "95; tarsus, 

 2-30. 



