AMERICAN VULTURE. 



37 



lient of South America, but is most numerous in 

 the warmer regions. In some parts of British 

 America it is popularly called by the name of the 

 Turkey-Buzzard, and in other parts by that of the 

 Carrion Crow. Its general size is somewhat 

 smaller than a Turkey, and its colour brownish 

 black, with varying reflexions of green and purple ; 

 the larger wing-feathers and tail being of a deeper 

 black than the rest of the plumage. The whole 

 head and neck, with the base of the bill, are bare 

 of feathers, of a dull red colour, transversly wrin- 

 kled and granulated, and sparingly scattered over 

 with a blackish down : the bill is rather narrow, 

 lengthened, and of a whitish colour, with a dark 

 tip : the legs and feet flesh-coloured, with black 

 claws. It feeds on every kind of animal matter, 

 and is highly esteemed in the West Indies on ac- 

 count of its activity in clearing away such sub- 

 stances as might otherwise tend to infect the air in 

 those warm climates. In consequence of this 

 mode of life, the birds themselves have always a 

 very offensive odour. They are observed to vary 

 considerably in size in different parts of America, 

 and the smallest are those of the West Indies, the 

 measure of those of Jamaica being, according to 

 Sir Hans Sloane, two feet from the tip of the bill 

 to that of the tail, and twice as much from wing's 

 end to wing's end. Their general mariners are 

 very well described by Catesby. 



" Their food is carrion, in search of which they 

 are always soaring in the air: they continue a 

 long time on the wing, and with an easy, swimming 



