CATHAEISTA. 133 



p. 405 '" ; vi. p. 378 " ; Beldiag, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 344 '" ; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. 



Nat. Mus. ix. p. 168"; Herrera, La Nat. (3) i. pp. 175 '*, 319"; Stone, Pr. Ac. PhU. 



1890, p. 204 " ; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i. p. 165, t. 4. figs. 7, 10" ; Cherrie, 



Auk, 1892, p. 328" ; Richmond, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 522" ; Chapman, Bull. Amer. 



Mus. viii. p. 287 '" ; x. pp. 35 '^ 43 ". 

 Catharistes atratus, Sharps, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 24"; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 45"; 



1883, p. 457 ''; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 235 '\ 

 Cathartes fastens, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 63 "'' ; v. Prantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 370 '*. 

 Catharistes urubu, Sharpe, Hand-1. Birds, i. p. 240 '^ 



Nigra ; primariis longioribus extus basin versus griaescenti-brunneis, subtus quoque grisesceutibus, prope 

 rhachidem albam albicantibus : rostro fusoo, apicem versus albicante ; capite nudo et plaga praepectorali 

 nnda fuscis. Long, tota circa 22-5, alae 16'3, caudae 6'85, culm, (cum cera) 2*4, tarsi 3*3. (Descr. 

 exempl. ad. ex Coban, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. hand ab adultis distinguendns. 



Hah. North America, Southern States to North Carolina and the Mississippi Valley, 

 casually to Maine, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Dakota, &c. ^'^. — Mexico, 

 generally distributed (iS'MmicAras^ ^ ^^j, Guaymas (^eMm*/ ^^j, Mazatlan {Grayson^), 

 Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Guanajuato (Duges'^), Valley of Mexico (Ber- 

 rera^^^^), Jalapa {Ferrari-Perez^^, Chapman^^), Las Vigas^^, Chichen Itza^o 

 (Chapman), Orizaba [Botteri^), Yucatan {Gaumer ^^), Tekanto {Stone & Baker ^^) ; 

 Guatemala, generally distributed *, San Geronimo *, Coban, Duenas, &c. (0. S. & 

 F. B. G.) ; Honduras, Omoa {Leyland ^) ; Nicaragua, Rio Escondido {Bichmond ^^), 

 San Juan del Sur {Nutting ^^) ; Costa Rica, generally distributed {v. Frantzius ^s, 

 Carmiol^, Boucard^% San Jose {Cherrie '^^ La Palma {Nutting '^^); Panama 

 {M'Leannan^). — South America generally, except the extreme south and the 

 higher Andes ^^. 



The range of the Black Turkey Vulture in the United States is more restricted than 

 that of Cathartes aura, and the species is not so plentiful in the interior as on the 

 sea-coast. Like the common Turkey Vulture, C. atrata is a migrant, and is found 

 only in certain parts of the Southern States during the winter. Mr. Ridgway believes 

 it to be absent from California, but throughout Mexico, Central and South America, 

 excepting in the extreme south of that continent and the higher Andes, it is universally 

 distributed and breeds abundantly. 



With the exception perhaps of Quiscalus macrurus, this is the most familiar bird in 

 Guatemala, every town and village, up to an elevation of about 6000 feet, having its 

 " Zopilotes " performing the useful task of scavengers. Mr. Champion informs us that 

 in the State of Panama they are known by the name of " Gallote." At night these 

 birds are said to retire to the forest, and in the early morning to troop back to their 

 posts in the streets and lanes and to the tops of the houses and churches, patiently 

 waiting for any chance carrion. 



They usually breed in the woods in well-concealed spots, making little or no nest, 



