36 AMERICAN VULTURE. 



an inch longer than the point of its wings : its 

 thighs are clothed with a soft, down-like feather, as 

 far as the joint: its legs are of a dirty white, in- 

 clining to flesh-colour, rough, with small tubercles 

 which are soft and flesh v: it has three toes before 

 and one behind ; the middle of these is considerably 

 the longest; they are armed with black claws, 

 rather strong than pointed or much crooked: it 

 has no voice that ever I heard, generally goes 

 single, and oftener sits and walks upon the ground 

 than upon trees : it delights in the most putrid and 

 stinking kind of carrion, has itself a very strong 

 smell, and putrifies very speedily. It is a very 

 great breach of order, or police, to kill any one of 

 these birds near Cairo/' 



AMERICAN VULTURE. 



Vultur Aura. V. Nigricans, purpureo viridique nitens, capitc 



colloque denudatis rubris papilloso-rugosis. 

 Blackish Vulture, with purple and green reflexions, and red, 



naked, papilla ted and wrinkled head and neck. 

 Vultur Aura. V. fusco-griseus, remigibus nigris, rostro albo. 



Lin. Syst. Nat. 

 Carrion Vulture. Shane's Jamaica, 1. p. 294. pi. 254. 

 Turkey-Buzzard. Catesb. Carol. 1. pi. 6. 



I 

 This species, with some variations*, appears to 



be pretty generally diffused over the whole conti- 



* It is contended by some that there are in reality two distinct 

 species, viz. the V. Aura, which is of a blackish brown, and the 

 P'.Urvba, which is entirely black, the bill, head, and neck excepted. 

 This black species, or Uruba, is most prevalent in South America. 



