52 BLACK VULTURE. 



Cathartes Jota, Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 23. 

 Cathartes atratus, Swains and Richards, Fauna Boreali-Americ. Part 11. p. 6. 

 VuLTDR Jota, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 247. 



Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Vultur atratus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. 

 vol. ix. p. 104. PI. 75. fig. 2 — Nuttall, Manual, p. 46. 



Adult Male. Plate CVI. Fig. 1. 



Bill elongated, rather stout, straight at the base, slightly compres- 

 sed; the upper mandible covered to the middle by the cere, broad, 

 curved, and acute at the end, the edge doubly undulated. Nostrils 

 medial, approximate, linear, pervious. Head elongated, neck longish, 

 body robust. Feet strong; tarsus roundish, covered with small rhom- 

 boidal scales ; toes scutellate above, the middle one much longer, the la- 

 teral nearly equal, second and third united at the base by a web. Claws 

 arched, strong, rather obtuse. 



Plumage rather compact, with ordinary lustre. The head and upper 

 part of the neck are destitute of feathers, having a black, rugose, carun- 

 culated skin, sparsely covered with short hairs, and downy behind. Wings 

 ample, long, the first quill rather short, third and fourth longest. Tail 

 longish, even, or very slightly emarginated at the end, of twelve broad, 

 straight, feathers. 



Bill greyish-yellow at the end, dusky at the base, as is the corrugated 

 skin of the head and neck. Iris reddish-brown. Feet yellowish-grey ; 

 claws black. The general colour of the plumage is dull-black, slightly 

 glossed with blue ; the primary quills light brownish on the inside. 



Length 26 inches; extent of wings 54 ; bill 2| ; tarsus 3^ ; middle 

 toe 4. 



Adult Female. Plate CVII. Fig. 2. 



The female resembles the male in external appearance, and is rather 

 less. 



