BIRDS OF AMERICA 
FAMILY I. VULTURINiE. VULTURINE BIRDS, or 
VULTURES. 
Bill of moderate length, stout, cerate ; upper mandible with the tip 
elongated and decurved ; lower mandible rounded and thin-edged at the 
end. Head rather small, or of moderate size, ovato-oblong, and with part 
of the neck destitute of feathers. Eyes of moderate size, without pro- 
jecting ridges. External aperture of ears rather small and simple. Skin 
over the fore part of the neck bare, or merely downy. Tarsus rather 
stout, bare, and shorter than the middle toe ; hind toe much smaller than 
the second ; anterior toes connected at the base by a web ; claws large, 
moderately curved, rather acute. Plumage full and rather compact. 
Wings very long, subacuminate: (Esophagus excessively wide, and dilated 
into a crop ; stomach rather large, somewhat muscular, with a soft rugous 
epithelium ; intestine of moderate length and width ; coeca extremely 
small. The young when fledged have the head and upper part of the neck 
generally covered with down. Eggs commonly two. 
Genus I.— C ATH ARTES, IUiger. TURKEY - VULTURE. 
Bill of moderate length, rather slender, somewhat compressed ; upper 
mandible with its dorsal outline nearly straight and declinate to the end of 
the large cere, then decurved, the edges a little festooned, rather thick, the 
tip descending and rather obtuse ; lower mandible with the angle long and 
rather narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the back broad, 
