BIRDS OF AMERICA. 



FAMILY I. VULTURIN^E. VULTURINE BIRDS, or 



VULTURES. 



Bill of moderate length, stout, cerate; upper mandible with the tip elon- 

 gated and decurved; lower mandible rounded and thin-edged at the end. 

 Head rather small, or of moderate size, ovato-oblong, and with part of the 

 neck destitute of feathers. Eyes of moderate size, without projecting ridges. 

 External aperture of ears rather small and simple. Skin over the fore part 

 of the neck bare, or merely downy. Tarsus rather stout, bare, and shorter 

 than the middle toe; hind toe much smaller than the second; anterior toes 

 connected at the base by a web; claws large, moderately curved, rather acute. 

 Plumage full and rather compact. Wings very long, subacuminate. (Eso- 

 phagus excessively wide, and dilated into a crop; stomach rather large, 

 somewhat muscular, with a soft rugous epithelium; intestine of moderate 

 length and width; coeca extremely small. The young when fledged have 

 the head and upper part of the neck generally covered with down. Eggs 

 commonly two. 



Genus I.— CATHARTES, Illiger. TURKEY-VULTURE. 



Bill of moderate length, rather slender, somewhat compressed; upper 

 mandible with its dorsal outline nearly straight and declinate to the end of 

 the large cere, then decurved, the edges a little festooned, rather thick, the 

 tip descending and rather obtuse; lower mandible with the angle long and 

 rather narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the back broad, 



