SYNOPSIS 
OF THE 
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
LAND BIRDS. 
ORDER I.— RAPACES, Temm.— BIRDS OF PREY. 
FAMILY 1. — VULTURINA. — VULTURES. 
GENUS CATHARTES, Illiger. —TURKEY-VULTURES. 
1. Cathartes Californianus, Lath. — Californian Vulture. 
Head, bare, and yellowish red ; plumage, brownish black; secondaries, 
gray, and, together with their coverts, tipped with white. Head of young, 
dusky, and their plumage edged-with light brown; secondary coverts, 
tipped with brownish white. Nests in the loftiest trees. Eggs, two, 
nearly spherical, jet black. Length of female, 55 inches; of male, 50 
Habitat, California. 
Cathartes Californianus, Bonap. Syn. p. 22. Nuttall, i. 39. Aud. v. 240; Syn. 
p. 2, plate 426. 
2. Cathartes Aura, Linn Turkey-Buzzard, Wilson, p. 660. 
Habitat, from New Jersey, south and west throughout North America. 
Cathartes aura, Bonap. Syn. p. 22. Rich. & Swains. F. Bor. Amer. ii. 4. Nuttall, 
i, 43. Aud. plate 151, 11.296 ; v. 339; Syn. p. 3. 
3. Cathartes atratus.— Black Vulture, Wilson, p. 667. 
Cathartes iota, Bonap, Syn. p, 23. Nutt. i. 46. Aud. ii. 33; v. 345; plate 106.— 
Cathartes atratus, Rich. § Swain. ii. 6. Aud. Syn. p. 3. 
FAMILY I. —FALCONIDA. 
GENUS FALCO, Linn. — HAWKS. 
SUBGENUS AQUILA, Briss. 
4, Falco Chrysaétos, Linn.— Golden Eagle, Wilson, p. 467. 
Habitat, from lat. 40° to the north. 
Falco fulvus, Bonap, Sim. p, 25. Nuttall, i. 62. — Falco Chrysnetos, Aud. ii. 4644 — 
Aquila Chrysaetos, Rich. § Swain. F.B. A. it, 12. Aud. Syn. p. 93 plate 181. 
