558 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. ^BAPTOBES— CATRABTIBES. 



Analysis of Genera. 



Headandneokentirely naked; tall square Paeudogryphus 189 



Headandupperpartof neck naked; tail rounded Cathartes 190 



Headnaked, but feathers running up to it behind; tail square Catharista 191 



189. Pseudogry'phus. (Gr. i\r€v&os, pseudos, false; Lat. gryphus, a griffin.) California^ 

 Condor. Size immense, about equalling that of the Condor. Head and neck entirely bare, 

 smooth, without oaruncular appendages. No cervical, ruff of 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, ^^^^^^^^^BU^^KSatlltsd^^ 



but the general profile straight- 

 ish from the hook of the bill 

 to the hind head. Bill wide 

 and deep, comparatively little 

 hooked. Nasal passage much 



more contracted than the nasal j^^^^^^^^^KK^BffM^KHBf 



fossa. Wings of great ampli- ^^^^^^^^^^ammmtMmmmm^ml 



tude, folding to or beyond the 

 end of the square tail, the ends 

 of the primaries uncovered by 

 the secondaries ; 4th or 5th 

 quills longest. Tarsus about 

 as long as middle toe. One 

 species. 

 536. P. calif ornia'nus. (Of Cali- 

 fornia. Fig. 386.) Califor- 

 NiAN Condor. Adult $ 9 : 



Blackish, the feathers with _^g, -■LMMiiiii^LiiiiLJimii niiiiin — i r' --"""*™"*^-— ~x 



browner tips or edges, quite ^=^<ei«^a^MiiHMM^fc^^M^^BBi M I g^ 



gray or even whitish on the 



wing-coverts and inner quiUs; 



primaries and tail - feathers 



black; axUlars and lioine- of 



,. , .,, ,, • , Pig. 386, — Californien Condor. (From Tenney, after Audubon.) 



Wings white; bill yellowish, 



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



others carmine. Length 4-4i feet ; extent about 9i. feet ; wing 2-i-3 feet ; tail 1 J-li 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 culmen without cere about 1.50, but whole biU about 4.00, whole head about 



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



downy ; plumage without white. Nestlings covered with whitish dovni. 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, though its usual food is carrion. 



The nidification, as described, is like that of the turkey buzzard ; but the eggs are whitish, 



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



those of the turkey buzzard ; the flight is similar. 



190. CATHAR'TES. (Gr. KaBaprris, kathartes, a purifier.) Turkey Buzzards. Of medium 



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



