134 SAECOEHAMPHID>E. 



but in Antigua, Guatemala, they are said to use the ruins of old churches for that 

 purpose. 



The flight and nestiug,habits of this species differ considerably from those of Cathartes 

 aura. The eggs are two, rarely three, in number, and rather larger and more sparingly 

 marked than those of the latter species ; the ground-colour is a pale grey-green. 



CATHAKTES. 



Cathartes, Illiger, Prodr. p. 236 (1811). 



Bhinogry pirns, Ridgway, Hist. N. Amer. Birds, iii. p. 337 (1874). 



(Enops, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 25 (1874) 



As we have pointed out above, the genus Cathartes is very similar to Catharista in 

 appearance and structure, but differs in its longer and more pointed wings, which reach 

 to the end of the tail, the latter being rounded. The primaries are longer and extend 

 beyond the secondaries further than in Catharista. Mr. Ridgway (Man. N. Am. Birds, 

 2nd ed. p. 219) also calls attention to the shape of the nostrils in the two genera, these 

 in Cathartes being " small and narrow, occupying only the posterior half of the nasal 

 fossae, with the anterior end pointed." 



Two species are recognized, and the range of the genus extends over the greater 

 part of North and South America. 



1. Cathartes aura. 



The Turkey Buzzard, Catesb. Nat. Hist. Carol, i. p. 6, t. 6 \ 



Vultur aura, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 122^. 



Cathartes aura. 111. Prodr. p. 236 ' ; Licht. Preis-Verz. Mex. Vog. p. 3 * (c/. J. f . Orn. 1863, p. 58 ') ; 



Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 211%- Moore, P.Z.S.1859, p. 51 'j Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 213'; 



Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 2 ° ; Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 303 '° ; Duges, La Nat. i. 



p. 138 " ; V. Frantz. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 370 " ; Grayson, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. xiv. p. 267 " ; 



Nutting, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 405 "; vi. p. 377"; Belding, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. 



p. 344" ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 174 '^ 319 " ; Salv. Ibis, 1889, p. 375 " ; 1890, p. 89 '°; 



Stone, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1890, pp. 204'', 214"; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i. p. 161, 



t. 4. i5gs. 1,3"; Cherric, Auk, 1892, p. 328 " ; Richmond, Pr. TI. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 522 " ; 



Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. v. p. 34'°; Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. viii. p. 287"; 



X. pp. 35 '', 43 " ; Nelson, N. Amer. Faun. no. 14, p. 37 '". 

 (Enops aura, Sbarpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 25 " ; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 45 " ; Sumichrast, 



La Nat. v. p. 235 ". 

 Rhynogryphus aura, Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4. p. 44 " ; Salvad. Boll. Mus. Torino, xiv. 



no. 339, p. 10 ^ 



Niger, chalybeo vel purpureo nitens ; alis brunnescentioribus, remigibus purpureo vel chalybeo-viridi lavatis 

 his infra griseis, rhaohidibus albis vel pallide brumieis ; capite nudo, coccineo : rostro albo ; iride griseo- 

 brunnea. Long, tota circa 24-0, alse 18-8, caudse 10-0, culm, (cum cera) 2-0, tarsi 2-3. (Descr. exempl. 

 ad. ex Cozumel I., Yucatan. Mus. nostr.) 



