CALIFORNIAN VULTURE. 



11 



one of the largest of the genus, and even ap- 

 proaches nearly to the size of the Condor. Its 

 colour is black, but the tips of the last or inte- 

 rior secondary remiges which lap over the back 

 are whitish, especially on the interior edge: the 

 covert-feathers of the wings are of a brownish 

 tinge towards their edges : the head and neck ar6 

 naked, or very sparingly sprinkled in some parts 

 with a kind of setaceous down : the colour of the 

 neck is reddish, inclining to blueish on each side : 

 the head is blackish at the top and back part, as 

 well as round the beak, which extremely resembles 

 that of the Condor in shape and colour, and is 

 rather obtuse at the extremity. The head is en- 

 tirely void of any carunculated appearance, but 

 the occiput or back part is marked by a dark 

 patch or zone which seems to rise a little above 

 the surface. The lower part of the neck is surround- 

 ed by a ruff or wreath of lanceolate black plumes, 

 the fibres of which have a kind of setaceous or 

 horny appearance. The feathers of the breast, 

 abdomen, and thighs are of the same structure and 

 shape in proportion to their size. The legs and 

 feet resemble those of the Condor, but the claws 

 are much sharper, longer, and of a more curved 

 form. The wings are long: the tail large and of , 

 a squarish shape; the legs and claws black. It 

 may be added that the under surface of the shafts 

 of the wing-feathers are of the same complexion 

 with those of the Condor, viz. whitish, with nu- 

 merous arrow-shaped transverse marks or bars. 



