KING OF THE VULTURES. 
pared with those of the other Vultures, are 
shorter; and it's bill is thick and short, and be- 
gins it's curvature only at the point. The bill 
is sometimes entirely red ; at others, red only at 
the extremities, and black in the centre. The 
cere, which is of an orange colour, is broad, 
and stretches from each side to the crown of 
the Iicad. In this cere, the nostrils are placed: 
they are of an oblong shape ; and, between 
them, the skin projedis like a loose jagged 
comb^ falling on eitlier side, according to the 
motion of the head. The eyes are surround- 
ed By a scarlet skin, and the iris has the colour 
and lustre of pearl. I he head and neck are 
naked of feathers ; the crown being covered 
with a flesh-coloured skin, which is of a live- 
ly red behind, and' a darker before. Below 
the hinder part of the head, there rises a .^mail 
tuft of down ; from whicil, on each side, un- 
der the throat, a wrinkled skin extends, of a 
brownish colour, mixed with blue and red near 
it's termination, the whole being marked with 
small lines of black down. The cheeks, or 
sides of the head, are clothed with a similar 
black down ; and, between the bill and the 
eyes, behind the insertion of the mandibles, 
there 
