NO. 6 REVISION OF AMERICAN VULTURES WETMORE 5 



be observed in the winter range of this bird as given above that I have 

 seen another specimen of this race taken at 3,000 meters elevation 

 in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (U.S.N.M. no. 386705), in ad- 

 dition to others from Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Brazil. 



As indicated under C. a. septentrionalis, intergradation with that 

 form in the upper Mississippi Valley is shown in birds from Minne- 

 sota where those from Dawson County in the west-central part of 

 the State are intermediate, but are nearer meridionalis, as are speci- 

 mens farther south from central Kansas and west-central Oklahoma 

 (Mt. Scott, Comanche County). Allocation of the breeding birds 

 from southeastern Kansas and eastern Oklahoma from present infor- 

 mation is uncertain. 



The diagnosis and measurements given above have been taken from 

 birds presumed to be on or near their breeding grounds. Cathartes 

 a. meridionalis shows the same cline of steadily increasing size from 

 south to north as is found in the eastern race. To the south there is 

 no sharp break between this form and C. a. aura. In fact, the type 

 specimen of teter Friedmann, from Riverside, about 50 miles east 

 of Los Angeles in southern California, is on the borderline between 

 the two in size and color. 



Occasionally, birds from arid regions taken late in summer show 

 fading in the color of the wing coverts so that they appear lighter 

 than normal. At first glance these may suggest septentrionalis but 

 on comparison with specimens of that race in similar stage of plum- 

 age are definitely browner. First fall birds of meridionalis, and also 

 of typical aura, often show narrow, grayish-white edgings on the 

 middle wing coverts. 



CATHARTES AURA AURA (Linnaeus) 



Vultiir Aura Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 86. (Veracruz, 



Mexico.) 

 ?[Aguila] nudicollis Ritter, Naturhist. Reise Westind. Insel Hayti, 1836, p. 155. 



("Geyer mit nackenden Halse" : No further description.) 

 Cathartes aura insularis Swann, Syn. Accipitres, pt. 1, Sept. 28, 1928, p. 3. 



(Isla Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico.) 



Characters. — Similar in color to C. a. meridionalis, but smaller, 

 with shorter wings and tail. 



Measurements. — (Taken from birds assumed to be on or near their 

 breeding grounds.) Males (21 specimens), wing 462-495 (478), 

 tail 226-249 (238), culmen from cere 22.8-25.1 (22.6), tarsus 58.8- 

 64.5 (62.4) mm. 



