3 
GEN. IV. CATHARTES Illiger (1811). 
Type by subs. desig. (Vigors 1825) Vultur aura L. 
Tail rounded. 
+*4, 
4a. 
4b. 
Cathartes aura aura (Linn.), S.N., i., p. 86 N. America: 
(1758). [America calidiore: type loc. 
subst. Vera Cruz, Mexico, apud Nelson.] 
Turkey Vulture. 
Wing 500-530 (g largest) ; tail 253-270 ; 
tarsus 59 mm.; crown whitish ; head and 
neck dark reddish purple to light crimson 
(in life); iris brown; plumage brownish 
black, with metallic reflections on mantle 
and chest ; wing coverts chiefly brown. 
Cathartes aura meridionalis,’ subsp. nov. 
[nom. nov. Cathartes aura aura (Linn.) 
ed. let. auct) plur. Type loc. .sugg. 
Colombia]. 
S. American Turkey-Vulture. 
Larger, wing 530-550 (example from Colom- 
bia in B.M. coll. 550 mm.); tail 292, 
tarsus 74mm. ; plumage averaging blacker. 
Cathartes aura insularis subsp. nov. [ad. 
Cozumel I., Yucatan, 1885, G. F. Gaumer, 
B.M. reg. no. 87, 5, 1, 962, type in Brit. 
Mus., descr. in Biol. Centr. Amer.] 
Cozumel Turkey-Vulture. 
Much smaller; wing 470-505 (type, not 
sexed, 2 ?, 475 mm.); plumage much 
53° N. in Cana- 
da to Mexico 
and Guatemala ; 
Bahamas, Cuba, 
Jamaica. 
W. South 
America, from 
Colombia to 
Peru, N. Chile 
and Argentina 
(S. to Rio 
Negro °). 
Cozumel I., 
Yucatan. 
1 It being apparent that Linnaeus described the N. American and not the 
S. American race, the former becomes the typical form and the name sepientrionalis 
(Wied) must be dropped. Lack of material renders it doubtful if the examples: 
found in Western S. America are really distinct, but as they certainly average larger 
and a trifle blacker I have felt it convenient to maintain the separation with a change 
of name. 
