442 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



wood, Ibis, 1896, 447 (Miravalles). — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.- 

 Am., Aves, 111, 1901, 131 (Pozo Azul [Underwood]). 



Gyparchus papa Lawrence, Ann. Lye. N. Y., IX, 1868, 134 (Gulf of Nicoya 

 [Coll. Salvin]). — Frantzius, Jour, fiir Orn., 1869, 370 (Pacaca). —Nut- 

 ting, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V, 1882, 405 (La Palma de Nicoya). — 

 Cherrie, Expl. Zool. en C. R., 1891-2, 1893, 51 (Buenos Aires). 



Sarcoramphus papa Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H., XXIV, 1908, 35, 38 



U. S. Nat. Museum: Bonilla (Basulto). 



C. H. Lankester Collection : Cariblanco de Sarapiqui. 



Carnegie Museum : Pozo Azul de Pirris (Carriker). Two skins. 



Distributed sparingly over the whole of the lower parts of Costa 

 Rica. It rarely ascends above 3,000 feet and is much more abundant 

 below 2,000 feet. They almost always come to the carcass of a cow 

 or horse, and as a rule are not very shy, it being usually possible to 

 approach within gunshot of them. When one or more of the King Vul- 

 tures are feeding on a carcass, the Black and Turkey Vultures always 

 keep at a distance, in a circle about the dead animal, waiting for the 

 "King" to finish. The natives call it King of the Vultures ("Rey 

 de Iosl Zopilotes") in consequence of this habit, saying that out 01 

 respect for it, the others wait until it has finished. Of course there 

 is nothing like respect connected with it, simply pure fear on the part 

 of the smaller vultures, for they well know that they will be driven off 

 if they approach. 



122. Catharista urubu brasiliensis (Bonaparte). 



(Native name " Zopilote." ) 



Cathartes brasiliensis BONAPARTE, Consp. Av., I, 1 850, 9. 



Cathartes atratus Salvin, Ibis, 1869, 319 (Costa Rica — addition to Lawrence's 



Cat.). — Underwood, Ibis, 1896, 447 (Miravalles — common). 

 Catharista atrata Nutting, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V, 1882, 405 (La Palma 



de Nicoya). — Cherrie, Expl. Zool. en C. R., 1890-I (Terraba Valley); 



Auk, VII, 1890, Z^Z'-i IX, 1892, 328 (San Jose — common). — Salvin and 



Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, III, 1901, 132 (references cited). 

 Catharistes atratus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., I, 1874, 24. — BoucARD, 



P. Z. S., 1878, 45 (common everywhere). — Zei.edon, An. Mus. Nac. de C. 



R., 1887, 127. 

 Cathartes fattens Frantzius, Jour, fiir Orn., 1869, 370 (generally distributed). 

 Catharista urubu brasiliensis Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H., XXI, 1905, 275. 



Very abundant over the whole country, but more especially in the 

 settled districts, where they perform the duties of scavengers, devour- 

 ing refuse of all kinds, both vegetable and animal. With such poor 

 sanitary conditions as are to be found throughout all the towns and. 



