244 ' CALIFORNIAN VULTURE. 



terior half of the nasal cavity, of which the anterior part is filled by a 

 membrane. - - 



Head rather small, oblong ; neck rather long ; body robust. Feet 

 short, strong ; tarsus roundish, covered with small convex angular 

 scales ; toes with transverse rows of scales at the base, scutellate in 

 the rest of their extent ; the first small, the middle very long, the se- 

 cond shorter than the fourth ; the anterior connected by webs at the 

 base. Claws arched, strong, moderately compressed, blunted, those of 

 the middle and inner toes largest. 



The head and upper part of the neck are bare, but the middle of 

 the forehead to beyond the nostrils, and a semicircular space before the 

 eye, are closely covered with very small firm feathers ; the fore part of 

 the neck is longitudinally, the occiput and hind neck transversely 

 wrinkled. Plumage full, compact ; feathers of the ruff and fore part 

 of the breast, lanceolate and acuminate, of the upper parts ovato-ellip- 

 tical, broadly rounded, and glossy. Wings very long, ample, concave ; 

 primaries finely acuminate, secondaries rounded ; the first quill two 

 inches and a half shorter than the second, which is half an inch shorter 

 than the third, the latter exceeded by the fourth by half an inch, and 

 equal to the fifth. Tail of moderate length, nearly even, of twelve 

 broad, rounded feathers. 



The horny part of the bill yellow ; the cere and naked part of the 

 head and neck yellowish-red. Iris dark hazel. Feet yellowish-grey, 

 claws brownish-black. The general colour of the plumage is greyish- 

 black, the feathers of the upper parts narrowly margined with light 

 brown and grey ; the secondaries light grey externally, as are the edges 

 of the primaries ; the margins of the inner secondaries toward the base, 

 and those of the secondary coverts, with a large portion of the extre- 

 mity of the latter, are white. The feathers on the sides under the wing, 

 the axillaries, and many of the lower wing-coverts, are white. 



Length to end of tail 55 inches ; bill along the ridge 4f , along the 

 edge of lower mandible 3i^j ; wing from flexure 34 ; tail 16 ; tarsus 4^ ; 

 hind toe 1^|, its claw 1^ ; second toe 2^, its claw lif ; third toe 4^, its , 

 claw 2 ; fourth toe 2^^, its claw l^^. 



A young individual obtainedfrom Dr Townsenb has the hornypartof j 

 the bill dusky yellowish-grey; the head and neck covered with dull brown : 

 very soft down; the feet greyish-yellow, the scutella darker, the claws] 



