chekrie; oknitholoc.v of the Orinoco region. 337 
purple, except occiput and back of neck which are primrose yellow, the 
line between the two colors being abrupt and sliarply drawn ; feet pansy 
purple. 
There is some slight variation in the shade and intensity of color- 
ing but the above represents the average coloring of the head in this 
species. There is no appreciable difference in coloring between the 
male and the female and the table of measurements indicates that 
they are about equal in size. The plumage is black, in freshly 
moulted specimens strongly washed with purplish (or steel blue) 
and greenish bronze, the former predominating. As the feathers 
grow old they bleach to a brownish shade, lightest along the edges 
and at tip, but the light colored edges of the feathers never become 
prominent as in the Turkey Vulture (C. aura septentrionalis) . Below, 
on breast and belly, the bronzy greenish sheen is more pronounced. 
The color of the shafts of the primaries below is white or yellowish 
white ; above it varies from a seal brown to the yellowish white of 
old ivory, depending entirely on the age of the feather, freshly moulted 
quills being seal brown. The skin of the head and neck is mostly 
smooth, being transversely wrinkled on the nape and upper part nf 
back of neck only. The feathering does not ascend further on the 
back of the neck than it does on the sides — there is no ruff. On the 
lores there is a patch of short bristly black hairs, four or five spring- 
ing from each papilla, a few about the auricular orifice and on the 
side of the face below the eye, while they are sparsely scattered over 
the throat and under side of the neck. In cabinet skins the tips of 
the wings rarely reach to the end of the tail. Following is a list of 
si^ecimens examined, with measurements: 
W 
T 
Ts 
131946 u. s. 
X. 
JI, 
, Mashapoc Br. Guiana 
. Apr., 
1892, 
495 
270 
60 
I 3 1947 
" 
Araby 
June, 
1891, 
495 
270 
60 
5 
5204' B, I. 
M. 
Agua Salada de 
Bolivar, Venez. 
Apr., 
1907, 
G. K. Cherrie 
1 441 1 520 
270 
62 
? 
5212 
Caicara, River Ori- 
noco, Venez. 
July, 
1907, 
G. K. Cherrie 
15047 510 
260 
61 
2 
5210 
Caicara, River Ori- 
noco, Venez. 
June. 
1907. 
G. K. Cherrie 
15075 495 
260 
58 
? 
5209 ■• 
Caicara, River Ori- 
noco, Venez. 
June, 
1907, 
G. K. Cherrie 
14942 495 
265 
60 
? 
.V5I 
Caicara, River Ori- 
June, 
190S, 
G. K. Cherrie 
noco, Venez. 
• and back of neck cream yellow. 
13794 495 
280 
60 
'Crown patch. 
naps 
