CARRION VULTURE. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Vultuii aura. . V. fusco-griseus, remigibus nigris, rostro 
albo. Linn. Syst. Nat. Gmel. 1 . p. 246. 
Of a brown gray colour j wing-feathers 
black 5 beak white. 
Uuubu. Wilt. Orn. 68. 
VuLTUR BRASILIENSIS. Briss. Av. 1. 
p. 468. 
Turkey Buzzard. Catesb. Car. 1. p. 6. 
pi. 6. 
Carrion Vulture. Buff. Birds, 1 . p. 130. Arct. Zool.2. p. 191. 
Lath. Syn. 1 . p. 9. n. 5. 
The preference which these birds are known to 
give to tainted flesh makes them of signal service in 
tropical climates, where, if the putrid remains of 
animal substances were not removed, they would 
soon become intolerable, and render those parts still 
more unwholesome than they are. Dr. Latham 
kept two carrion vultures, from Jamaica, for some 
time ; and he tells us that they would, indeed, eat 
any raw flesh ; but when any tainted food was offered 
them, they expressed their pleasure by fluttering 
with expanded wings without ceasing, and devour- 
