TURKEY VULTURE. 
15 
islimcnt, freely give currency to every ridiculous tale, -ffbicli the design- 
ing or the credulous impose upon them. 
The Turkey Vulture is two feet and a half in length, and six feet two 
inches in breadth ; the bill, from the corner of the mouth, is almost two 
inches and a half long, of a dark horn color, for somewhat more than 
an inch from the tip, the nostril a remarkably wide -slit or opening 
through it ; the tongue is greatly concave, cartilaginous, and finely ser- 
rated on its edges ; ears sub-cordate, eyes dark, in some specimens red- 
dish hazel ; wrinkled skin of the head and neck redilish ; the neck not 
so much caruiK-led as that of the Black Vulture ; from the hind-head to 
the neck feathers, the space is covered with down, of a sooty black 
color: the fore part of the neck is bare as far as the breast bone, the 
skin or the lower part, or pouch, very much wrinkled, this naked skin is 
not discernible without removing the plumage which arches over it ; the 
whole lower parts, lining of the wings, rump and tail-coverts, are of a 
sooty brown, the feathers of the belly and vent hairy ; the plumage of 
the neck is large and tumid, and, with that of the back and shoulders, 
black : the scapulars and secondaries are black on their outer webs, 
skirted with tawny brown, the latter slightly tipped with white ; prima- 
ries and their coverts plain brown, the former pointed, third primary 
the longest ; coverts of the secondaries, and lesser coverts, tawny brown, 
centred with black, some of the feathers, at their extremities, slightly 
edged with white ; the tail is twelve inches long, rounded, of a brownish 
black, and composed of twelve feathers, which are broad at their ex- 
tremities ; inside of wings and tail light ash ; the wings reach to the 
end of the tail ; the Avhole body and neck, beneath the plumage, are 
thickly clothed with a white down, which feels like cotton ; the shafts of 
the primaries are yellowish white above, and those of the tail brown, 
both pure white below ; the plumage of the neck, back, shoulders, scap- 
ulars and secondaries, is glossed with green and bronze, and has purple 
reflections ; the thighs are feathered to the knees ; feet considerably 
webbed ; middle toe three inches and a half in length, and about an inch 
and a half longer than the outer one, which is the next longest ; the sole 
of the foot is hard and rough ; claws dark horn color ; the legs are of 
a pale flesh color, and three inches long. The claws are larger, but the 
feet slenderer, than those of the Carrion Crow. The l)ill of the male is 
pure white, in some specimens the upper mandible is tipped with black. 
There is little or no other perceptible difference between the sexes. 
The bird from which the foregoing description was taken, was shot for 
this work, at Great Egg-harbor, the thirtieth of January. It Avas a 
female, in perfect plumage, excessively fat, and weighed five pounds one 
ounce, avoirdupois. On dissection, it emitted a slight musky odor. 
The Vulture is included in the catalogue of those fowls declared un- 
clean, and an abomination, by the Levitical constitution, and which the 
