VULTURE. 9 



5— KING— Pl. II. 



Vultur Papa, Tnd. Orn.l 4. Lin. Syst.u V22. Gm. LinA. 246. Daud. ii. 9. pl.ix. 



Bris. i. 470. t. 36. Id. 8vo. i. 13a Geriii. i. t- 12. Borowsk. Nat. Ixi. t. 1. 



Spalowsk. Fog. i. t. 2. Levail. pl. xiii. Sclirif. d. BerL Gessell, ix. t. 8 (caput). 



Shatc. Zool. vii. 39. pl. xiii. 

 Retina Aurarnni, Wili. 302. Id. [Angl.) 390. 

 Vultur Monachus, K/e'ni. Av. p. 46. 

 Cozcstcoauhtli, Rail. 101. 

 L'Iriburubicha, Voy. de Azara. iii. p. 17. 



Tzopilotl, o Rey de les Buytres, Gabin. de Madrid, i. 43. lam. 19. 

 Rci des Vautours, Bjijf. i. 169. pl. 6. Pl. Enl. 428. 

 Catharte, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. AnaL p. xlviiL 

 King Vulture, Gen. Syn. i. p. 7. Id. Sup. i\. p, 7. Edw. pl. ii. 



THIS elegant sji^cies is about the size of a hen turkey ; length, 

 t>vo feet four inches ; bill, black in the middle and red at the end; 

 cere, orange coloured, continued on the upper part, so as to form a 

 caninculatetl and tlentated skin or flap, which hangs pendulous over 

 the bill; round the eyes, safli'on coloiu'; irides, whitish; crown of 

 tlie head and neck bare, and the whole capable of being drawn into 

 a large ruff* of loose ash coloured feathers, placed on the shoulders ; 

 a fillet of blackish do\\ii encompasses the head, taking rise from the 

 hind head ; at the corner of the mouth, near the eye, is a purplish 

 brown spot ; plumage, reddish buff' colour above, and beneath yel- 

 lowish white ; quills greenish black ; tail black ; craw pendulous and 

 orange coloured ; legs dirty white ; claws black. 



Inhabits South America and the West Indian Islands ; lives on 

 carrion, and excrements of all kinds; preys also upon rats, lizards, 

 and snakes. From the nature of the food, the smell of it is veiy 

 disagreeable. The flight of this bird is said to be strong, as it is 

 often seen suspending itself in the air very readily, against the most 

 boisterous wind. 



VOL. I. C 



