CATHAETES. 135 



Juv. similis adultis, sed rostro nigricante ; pilei colore livido fusco (teste Eidgway, Man. N. Amer Birds 2nd ed 

 p. 221). . , . 



Hai. North America, more or less regularly to Southern New England, New York, 

 Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. — Mexico, generally distributed {Sumichrast^, 

 Deppe^% Guaymas (JBelding ^^), Fronteras in Sonora {Rohinette^% Mazatlan 

 (Grayson^o), Tres Marias Is. {Grayson ^'^ ^s, Nelson^'^), Guanajuato, Guadalajara 

 {Buges^^), Colima {Xantus'^% Valley of Mexico (Herrera^'' ^^), Jalapa^s, Las 

 Vigas29, Cbichen Itza^T (Chapman), State of Vera Cruz from the sea-level to a 

 height of 14,000 feet, Volcan de Orizaba 6, Popocatepetl, &c. {Sumichrast^% 

 Ixtaccihuatl, San Andres Chalchicomula, Toluca {Baker ^^), Eio Eancho Nuevo 

 {Ferrari-Perez), Tekanto, Tunkas, Ticul, and Uxmal in N. Yucatan {Stone & 

 Baker ^^), Cozwmel I. ^^ 20^ Bonacca I.^^ {Gaumer) ; Guatemala, generally distri- 

 buted from the sea-level to a height of 13,000 feet, Volcan de Fuego, Duenas, 

 Cohan, &c. {0. S. & F. B. G.^); Honduras, Omoa {Leyland''), Kuatan I. 

 {Gaiimer^^); Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur {Nutting ^^), Eio Escondido {Eich- 

 mond 25) ; Costa Eica, generally distributed (v. Frantzius ^^, Underwood), San Jose 

 {Boucard^^, Cherrie^^), La Palma {Nutting '^^) ; Panama {M'Leannan% Punta de 

 Sabana {Festa ^^). — South America generally. 



The Eed-headed Turkey Vulture is common throughout the Southern United States, 

 becoming rarer as it advances northwards, according to Bendire ^^, who says that it is 

 "resident to the east of the Eocky Mountains from about lat. 39° southward, while 

 on the Pacific coast it winters as far north as lat. 46° near the mouth of the Columbia 

 Eiver." 



Widely distributed in Mexico and Central America, C. aura frequents the open 

 country rather than the towns, and occurs from the sea-level to an elevation of 14,000 

 feet in the higher mountains. It does not appear to be so plentiful in Central America 

 as Catharista atrata, and we found this to be the case in Guatemala, where the bird 

 was observed in less cultivated or forest districts. 



Dr. Ealph writes, in Bendire's ' Life Histories of North American Birds ' ^3^ that he 

 had often seen G. aura in company with Black-headed Vultures floating down a river 

 on a dead alligator, cow, or other large animal, so closely packed that they could hardly 

 keep their balance, with others following on the wing. 



This Vulture makes little or no attempt at a nest. The eggs are laid in cavities or 

 holes in rocks or trees, often on the bare ground, and under bushes ; sometimes in an 

 old Hawk's nest at a considerable height from the ground. They are two, rarely three, 

 in number, of a creamy-white colour, with blotches or spots of red, chocolate-brown, 

 or lavender, these markings varying in intensity, even in the same clutch, to almost 

 spotless white ^^. 



