492 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



This well-marked genus is composed of a single species, which is 

 conlhied to the tropical and warm-temperate portions of America. 

 The differences from the other Vultures, which this bird exhibits in 

 its habits and especially in its flight, are very striking, and furnish 

 additional characters distinctive of the genus. 



Catharista atrata (Bartr.) 



BLACK VULTUKE. 



Popular synonyin. Carrion Crow. 

 VuUur atratus Baktr. Trav. 1792, 289. 

 Cathartes atratus Less. 1838.— Aud. Synop. 1839. 3; B. Am. I. 1840. 17, pi. 3.— Cass. In 

 Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 5.— Baikd, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 3.— CouES, Key. 1872. 

 222; Cheek List, 1874. No. 3Gf; B. N. W. 1874. 383. 

 Catharista atrata Gbay, 18t;9.— B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 351.— KiDGW. Nom. N. 

 Am. B. 1881, No. 455.— CouES, 2d Clieck List, 1882, No. 538. 

 Cathartes iota {"MoL.") Bp. 1828. {iiec Mol.).— NuTT. Man. i, 1832, 46.— Atro. Orn. Biog. iii, 

 1835, 35; v, 1839.345, pi. 10«. 



Hab. Wliole of tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate America, including West 

 Indies; nortli, on Atlantic coast, regularly to North Carolina, casually to New Bruns- 

 wick; in tlie interior to southern Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois, and west of the Mississippi 

 to northern Dakota. 



Sp. Char. Form heavy; the wings and tail short, the latter square; the remiges and 

 rectrices very hard and stiff. Bill strong, the mandibles broader than deep, and of about 

 equal depth, the terminal hook well developed; upper and lower outlines of the cere 

 parallel, and nearly straight. Nostril narrow, its anterior end contracted and pointed. 

 Wing, 17.00-17.50; tail, 7.50-8.50; eulmen, .90-. 95; tarsus, 3.00; middle toe, 2.90; outer, 1.90; 

 inner, 1.50; posterior. .75. 



Adult. Bill blackish the point horny white; naked skin of the head and upper part 

 of the neck blackish. Entire plumage continuous, perfectly uniform dull black; pri- 

 maries becoming grayish basally (more hoary whitish on their under surface), their 

 shafts pure white for their whole length. 



For some unexplained reason, the Black Vulture is an uncommon 

 bird in most parts of Illinois. In fact, it does not seem to be 

 numerous anywhere, even in the extreme southern portion of the 

 State. Near Mt. Carmel the writer has met with it only in the 

 cypress swamp, where, during spring and summer, it was several 

 times seen, but always singly. In the same locality the Turkey 

 Buzzards could be counted by hundreds. It seems, however, to 

 be a very local species, and the country about Mt. Carmel may 

 be in some way unsuited to its habits. It is so conspicuously 

 different in appearance and manner from the Turkey Buzzard that 

 there is no chance of confounding the two; therefore, the species 

 cannot have been overlooked. 



