RAPTORES. 



85 



ever seen are of more deep and uniform black than is usually to be seen 

 in either G. aura or G. jota. 



This little vulture, the smallest of the entire group of vultures, is an 

 inhabitant of the coasts of Mexico and of Lower California, of the former 

 both on the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and very probably 

 extends its range along the shores of the Pacific into the territory of the 

 United States. The specimen first described by us was sent to the Aca- 

 demy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, in a collection made at Vera 

 Cruz by Marmaduke Burrough, M.D., then United States Consul at that 

 city, and a distinguished and useful member of the Philadelphia Aca- 

 demy. Since then, we have seen other specimens from Mexico. 



6. Cathartes atratus [BarU-am). — The Black Vulture. The 



Carrion Crow. 



Vultur atratus, Bartram, Travels, p. 289 (1791). 



VuUur uruhu, Vieillot, Ois. d'Am. Sept. I, p. 53 (1807). 



Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept. I, Plate II ; Wilson, Am. Orn. IX, Plate 

 LXXV, fig. 2 ; Audubon, Birds of Am. Plate CVI ; octavo edition, I, 

 Plate III. 



Plumage commencing higher on the back of the neck than on its 

 sides or in front, and there consisting of short feathers. Head and 

 naked portion of neck warted or corrugated, and with a few hair-like 

 feathers; bill rather long; nostrils large and communicating with each 

 other ; tail truncate or even at the end ; legs rather long. 



Entire plumage deep uniform black, frequently with a bluish gloss 

 on the back and quills. Shafts of quills white above and below; quills, 

 on their under surface, pale, in some specimens nearly white. Head 

 and neck brownish or bluish-black ; bill dark, yellowish at the tip. 



Total length about twenty-three inches ; wing sixteen and a half 

 inches ; tail eight and a half inches. 



Hab. — Southern United States, Mexico, and Central America, 

 Northern South America, Chili. Specimen in Nat. Mus. Washington, 

 and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



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