20 BLACK VULTURE, OR CARRION CROW. 



their parents through the woods. At this period, their head is covered with 

 feathers to the very mandibles. The plumage of this part gradually disap- 

 pears, and the skin becomes wrinkled; but they are not in full plumage till 

 the second year. During the breeding season, they frequent the cities less, 

 those remaining at that time being barren birds, of which there appear to be 

 a good number. I believe that the individuals which are no longer capable 

 of breeding, spend all their time in and about the cities, and roost on the 

 roofs and chimneys. They go out, in company with the Turkey-Buzzards, 

 to the yards of the hospitals and asylums, to feed on the remains of the 

 provisions cooked there, which are as regularly thrown out to them. 



I have represented a pair of Carrion Crows or Black Vultures in full 

 plumage, engaged with the head of our Common Deer, the Cervus virgi- 

 nianus. 



Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Vultur atratus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. ix. p. 104. 



Cathartes Iota, Bonap. Syn., p. 23. 



Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Cathartes Iota, Nuttall, Man., vol. i. p. 46. 



Black Vulture or Carrion Crow, Aud., vol. ii. p. 33; vol. v. p. 345. 



Cathartes atratus, Black Vulture, Swains. & Rich., F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 6. 



Adult Male. 



Bill elongated, rather stout, straight at the base, slightly compressed; the 

 upper mandible covered to the middle by the cere, broad, curved, and acute 

 at the end, the edge doubly undulated. Nostrils medial, approximate, linear, 

 pervious. Head elongated, neck longish, body robust. Feet strong; tarsus 

 roundish, covered with small rhomboidal scales; toes scutellate above, the 

 middle one much longer, the lateral nearly equal, second and third united at 

 the base by a web. Claws arched, strong, rather obtuse. 



Plumage rather compact, with ordinary lustre. The head and upper part 

 of the neck are destitute of feathers, having a black, rugose, carunculated 

 skin, sparsely covered with short hairs, and downy behind. Wings ample, 

 long, the first quill rather short, third and fourth longest. Tail longish, 

 even, or very slightly emarginated at the end, of twelve broad, straight 

 feathers. 



Bill greyish-yellow at the end, dusky at the base, as is the corrugated skin 

 of the head and neck. Iris reddish-brown. Feet yellowish-grey; claws 

 black. The general colour of the plumage is dull-black, slightly glossed 

 with blue; the primary quills light brownish on the inside. 



Length 26 inches; extent of wings 54; bill 2i; tarsus S\; middle toe 4. 



Adult Female. 



The female resemble? the male in external appearance, and is rather less. 



