558 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— BAPTOBES— CATHARTIDE8. 



Analysis cf Gcnc^ra. 



Head and neck entirely naked ; tail square Pseudogryphus 189 



Head and upper part of neck naked ; tail rounded Calhartes 190 



Head naked, but feathers running up t(i it behind; tail square Catharista 191 



189. Pseudogry'phus. (Gr. i/^fCSos, pseados, false; Lat. gryphus, a griffin.) Califoenian 

 C(.iNiiOR. Size iiiitiieiise, about ftjiialling that of tlif Coudor. Head and neck entirely bare, 

 smooth, without caruucular appendages. No cervical ruff <.f snowy, downy feathers; plumage 

 beginning over the shoulders 



with loose lance-linear feathers, — ^- ■ ' 



and that of the under parts 



generally of similar character. 



Frontal region depressed below 



the level of the inflated cere, 



but the general })rofile straight- .^^^^^^^IH^^^^^^^H^ X\( 



ish from the hook of the bill 



to the Iiiud head. Bill wide ^^KBKK^KBsSltfl'titM ^ 



and deep, comparatively little f^HB^Bt^^KMaK^SsSpmi^m ^^^ 



hooked. Kasal passage much (^U^^^BSmtmKlV^nSStmki'^ 



more contracted than the nasal I^^H^^^^^BfT^fr' V^r'^J 



fossa. Wings of great ampli- ^^^^SSBSwHsff' Mu'^^wL ' 



tude, folding to or beyond the ^aKSSmmstft' Ui 



end of the square tail, the ends mMUWMW^ 



of the primaries uncovered by H^E^rfrlJ^fil/i 



tlie secondaries; 4th or 5th ^B^SPllMtli' 



([uills hragcst. Tarsus about BtBS^^I'j 



as lung as middle toe. One fffV^/r lU^MSi^ilfif 



53G. P. oalifornia'nus. (Of Cali- ^^ ^fejw'^MHWF^^\ \ 

 foiiiia. f^ig. 3S0.) Califor- 

 NiAN CoNnoR. Adult (? 9 : '' - £«Q^H^^BV * 



Blackish, the feathers with 'S 



lirowner tips or edges, (juite ^ .^>..» 



gray or even whitish on the IKIV''^^' 



wing-coverts and inuer quills; ^^vi"*^ 



]iiimaries and tail-feathers 



Llick; axillars and lining of 



,. , ... ., . , Fig. 3P6. ~ Oaliforniiin Condor. (From Tennej', after Audubon.) 



wmgs wriito ; bill yellowish, 



reddening on cere, and skin of the head orange or reiUlish; iris said by some to be brown, by 



others carmine. Length 4-4i feet; extent about 9+ feet; wing 2-1-3 feet; tail li-H feet; 



tarsus 4.50-5.00 inches; middle toe without claw 4. 00-4. 50 ; middle claw 1.90; hind claw 



1.50 ; chord of culuien without cere about 1.50, but whole bill about 4.00, wlnjle head about 



7.00 ; cere on top nearly 3.00. Young with the liill and ualanl parts dusky, and more or less 



downy; plumage without white. Nestlings covered with wliitisli down. Pacific coast region, 



U. S. and southward, common. This great creature rivals the condor in size, and like it is 



powerful enough to destroy young or otherwise helpless animals, tliough its usual food is carrion. 



Tht! nidification, as described, is lil;e tliat cjf the turkey buzzard ; but the eggs are whitish, 



unniarlced. They measure about 4.50X2.50. The general habits appear to be the same as 



thost! of the turkey buzzard ; the flight is similar. 



190. CATHAR'TES. (Gr. Kadapr^s, Icathartcs, a purifier.) Turkey Buzzards. Of medium 

 size; body slender. Whole head and upper part of neck naked, the plumage beginning as a 



