BLACK VULTURE. 
21 
brown liead, bill, and feet ; they go often in flocks, and roost together 
upon trees. This species is very numerous, and is to be found in all the 
different climates ; while on the contrary, the Cozcaquauhtli is far from 
numerous, and is peculiar to the warmer climates alone.* The latter 
bird is larger than the Zopilot, has a red head and feet, with a beak of 
a deep red color, except towards its extremity, which is white. Its 
feathers are brown, except upon the neck and parts about the breast, 
which are of a reddish black. The wings are of an ash color upon the 
inside, and upon the outside are variegated with black and tawny. 
" The Cozcaquauhtli is called by the Mexicans, King of the Zopi- 
lots;\ and they say, that when these two spjpcies happen to meet together 
about the same carrion, the Zopilot never begins to eat till the Cozca- 
quauhtli has tasted it. The Zopilot is a most useful bird to that coun- 
try, for they not only clear the fields, but attend the crocodiles, and 
destroy the eggs which the females of those dreadful amphibious animals 
leave in the sand, to be hatched by the heat of the sun. The destruc- 
tion of such a bird ought to be prohibited under severe penalties."^ 
"The Jota (VuUnr jota)," says the abb^ Molina, "resembles much 
the Au7'a, a species of vulture, of which there is perhaps but one va- 
riety. It is distinguished, however, by the beak, Avhich is gray with a 
black point. Notwithstanding the size of this bird, which is nearly that 
of the turkey, and its strong and crooked talons, it attacks no other, 
but feeds principally upon carcasses and reptiles. It is extremely indo- 
lent, and Avill frequently remain for a long time almost motionless, with 
its wings extended, sunning itself upon the rocks, or the roofs of the 
houses. When in pain, Avhich is the only time that it is known to make 
any noise, it utters a sharp crj^ like that of a rat ; and usually disgorges 
what it has eaten. The flesh of this bird emits a fetid smell that is 
highly offensive. The manner in which it builds its nest is perfectly 
correspondent to its natural indolence ; it carelessly places between 
rocks, or even upon the ground, a few dry leaves or feathers, upon which 
it lays two eggs of a dirty white. "§ 
The Black Vulture is twenty-six inches in length, and four feet eleven 
inches in extent ; the bill is two inches and a half long, of a pale horn 
color as far as near an inch, the remainder, with the head, and wrinkled 
skin of the neck, a dirty scurfy black ; tongue similar to that of the 
Turkey-buzzard ; nostril an oblong slit ; irides dark reddish hazel ; ears 
sublunate ; the throat is dashed with yellow ochre in some specimens ; 
* This is a mistake. 
t This is the Vultur aura. The bird which now goes by the name of King of 
the Zopilois, in New Spain, is the Vultur jinpa of Linnasus. 
X Clavigero's Mexico, translated by Cullen, vol. i., p. 47, London. 
§ Hist. Chili, Am. trans, i., p. 185. 
