SHUFELDT.] OSTEOLOGY OF THE CATHARTIDA. (5) 
Many of the characters noted in the above table are from those ob- 
served by John Henry Gurney (Descrip. Cat. of Rap. Birds in Norfolk 
and Norwich Mus., Lond., 1864), others arefrom Mr. Ridgway’s Falconide 
and Cathartide (Hist. of N. A. B. by B., Br., 
and Ridgw.). This latter ornithologist de- 
scribes still one other Vulture found in South 
America (Nutt. Ornith. Bull., Apr., 1880), but 
it seems to us that it is not yet sufficiently 
proven that this bird is not S. gryphus in im- 
mature plumage. Particularly may this be 
the case, as we do not positively know how 
long the Condor requires to attain the adult 
plumage, and, furthermore, we can hardly be- 
lieve that a bird of the size of the one described 
could have so long escaped observation. However, in case we may 
be wrong in the matter, and future developments prove this to be a 
new Condor, we will here insert Mr. Ridgway’s notes 
upon this Vulture, taken from the bulietin above 
quoted. 
Sarcorhamphus equatorialis, Sharpe?—In the vivarium at Cen- 
tral Park, New York City, I saw in December, 1878, a Condor of 
uniform brown plumage, which Mr. Conklin, the director of the 
menagerie, informed me had been received July 23, 1875, and that 
it was three months old when captured. It was obtained on 
Mount Conquences, Chili, and was presented by Rear-Admiral uth 
Collins, U.S. N. The fact that this example had not yet, when BEL MIRE 
nearly four years old, begun to assume the plumage of S. gryphus, proves conclusively 
either that the latter species retains the livery of the young until four or more years 
of age, or that there really is,as has been asserted by authors,a species of Condor 
ameng the Andes which has permanently a uniform brown plumage, something like 
that of Gyps fulvus.* The locality of this specimen would extend considerably the 
range of S. equatorialis, Mr. Sharpe giving only Ecuador, and doubtfully Colombia, as 
the habitat of his species. 
Twill also remark here, and I have noted it in birds of various species, 
more especially in a living specimen of Haliaétus on 
leucocephalus that I had in my possession for a long GS Z 
time, that birds do not seem to acquire their adult ; 
plumage nearly so soon when they are kept in a 
_ State of confinement as when leading their natural 
life. Other authors have likewise noted this fact. 
With somany curious cases onrecord among other Ms \ 
Cathartes burrovianus. 
species, it is hard telling exactly what effect such 
an entire change would haveupon 8. gryphus, hav- 
ing been taken young, removed to an entirely dif- : 
ferent climate, kept confined, and no doubt hav- Ee ei 
ing a radical change made in its diet. 
Before closing what we have to say upon the external characters of 
*Since the above was written, Mr. Conklin has favored me with the following par- 
ticulars, under date of February 10,1880, in response to my inquiry as to the present 
condition of this specimen : ‘The plumage remains still unchanged, except that the 
ruff about the neck is somewhat fuller, and has a little sprinkle of white through the 
down . . . It has not increased much since then (July 23, 1875, the time when received 
at the menagerie), either in size or weight. The bill is black at the base, the apical 
half ivory-white; head bare,no wattles; iris dark brown.” Mr. Lawrence has also 
favored me with the following transcript from his note-book, April 1, 1876: ‘‘Condor, 
said to be nine months old. Bill black; cere and naked sides of head grayish-black ; 
head sparsely covered with short downy feathers of a smoky black; plumage, in gen- 
eral, of a dark snuff-brown.” August, 1877: ‘‘No change except the development of 
the ruff, which is colored like the back.” ‘‘The ruff is now (February 23, 1480) more 
full, but no appearance of becoming white ; underneath the feathers are whitish.” 
