VULTURE. 11 



a— PAINTED. 



Vultur Sacra, White tailed Vulture, Bartr. Tr. 148, 285, 403. Damp, Toy, ii, pi, 2. 



p. 67. 

 Vautour a Queue Blanche, Vieill. Amer, L j*. 26. 



THIS is thought, by Mr. Bertram, to diflfer specifically from the 

 King Vulture — said to be about the size of the Carrion species, but 

 the Aidngs much shorter, and therefore of less extent, and more diffi- 

 cult fligiit. The bill long, strait to near the point, where it is bent 

 and sharp ; irides, g^ld coloured ; head and neck, almost as far as 

 the stomach, bare ; the crown red, with lobed lappets, of a i-eddish 

 orange, lying on the base of tlie upper mandible ; the skin of the 

 neck, loose and wrinkled, bright red, intermixed with coral red, the 

 hind part nearly covered with short stiff" hair, the colour of dun 

 purple, gradually changing to red, as it approaches forwards ; on the 

 breast before, a pouch or wallet, naked and pear shaped, not very 

 conspicuous, unless the stomach is full ; round the lower part of the 

 neck the feathers are long and soft, forming a ruff", into which tlie 

 bird can conti-act, and hide the head and neck at will. The plumage 

 of the bod}^ white or cream coloured, but the quills, and two or 

 three rows of the coverts, beautiful dark brown; tail, large and 

 white, tipped witli dark brown or black ; legs clear white. 



Tliis Mr. Barti'am met with on the Moschito River, about New 

 SmjTna, in East Florida, and talks of it as a new species, by the 

 name of Painted Vulture. The Creek Indians, or Muscogulges, 

 construct the royal standard of the tail feathers of this bird, calling 

 it by a name which signifies the Eagle's Tail. It is carried by them 

 when they go to battle, but is then painted with a zone of red 

 within the brown end. This standard is held most sacred by them, 

 and ornamented with great ingenuity. These birds seldom appear 



C2 



