72 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



This fine species, the only bird of its family possessing beauty of 

 plumage, is abundant in some districts of South and Central America. 

 It is also an inhabitant of the southern parts of Mexico. But, although 

 admitted as a bird of the United States by Mr. Nuttall, no authentic 

 instance of its having been observed is on record or has otherwise come 

 to our knowledge. 



This bird is noticed once only by Dr. Pickering, from whose journal 

 we make this extract, interesting on account of its allusion to the rapid 

 flight of the species : 



The King Vulture was seen two or three times in the vicinity of 

 Valparaiso. Once, with its broad wings half closed and all motion in 

 them entirely suspended, I observed it darting with amazing velocity 

 towards some object that had attracted its attention, and it soon dis- 

 appeared." 



2. Genus CATHARTES, IlUger, Prodromus, p. 236 (1811). 



1. Cathaetes californianus {Slum). — The California Vulture. 



Vultiir californianus, Shaw, Nat. Misc. IX, p. 1 (1797). 

 Vultur coluinhianus, Ord. Guthrie's Geog. II, p. 315 (1815). 

 Cathartes vultunnus, Temm. PI. Col. I, PI. XXXI (1820). 



And. B. of Am. Plate CCCCXI ; Oct. ed. I, Plate I ; Gray, Genera 

 of Birds, I, Plate II. 



Noticed occasionally by Dr. Pickering in California. In one instance 

 he records the appearance of several individuals of this species " so very 

 suddenly on the death of an animal, that they seemed to have come 

 down from the upper regions of the atmosphere." 



One of the several allusions to this bird by Dr. Pickering involves 

 a point not well understood, and is given under date of October 16th : 

 " A specimen, apparently of Cathartes californianus, seen to-day, had 

 the bare skin of the head and neck hlach, and it had, too, less white 

 in its plumage than any that I have seen before. Other specimens in 

 the neighborhood had the head and neck red as usual." Of this highly 

 interesting fact, which has been noticed by several naturalists, we can 

 at present give no explanation ; but it is possible that the color of the 



