^ /S. 
t-^C^ 0 
Catharista atrata. Black Vulture. 
Do-wny Stage ■.—^nWxfthoAj densely covered with long silky down of 
uniform light fulvous color. Throat and lores bare. The whole top of 
the head is covered with a thick down of two distinct lengths, the longer 
of which IS much shorter than the body down; looking at the head from 
above, this longer down is seen to grow in such shape as to torm a patch 
having the outlines of a perfect spear-head ; the spear-ooint stands toward 
the bird’s bill, while the barbs extend backward over each eye, with the 
mad d form is 
made distinct not only because the down forming the spear-head is twice 
as long as the rest of the head-growth, but while the short down of the 
head IS of a dark grayish color, the long down of the spear-head has its 
edges sharpiy defined in black shading to a fulvous toward the centre. 
Biii dark horn color. When the bird is half grown and the quills are just 
appearing, the down on the head has about disappeared leaving the 
whole head black and nearly bare, the very minute and scattered growth 
of feathers being scarcely noticeable. The down on the body is still as 
dense as ever and very long. The color of the whole anterior Llf of the 
dller" iieT ^as become 
darker. The bill is black throughout. The down is now more than an 
as tV presents a grotesque appearance, very much 
as If It had covered its nakedness with a miniature faded buffalo skfn over 
Auk. 4. Jan.. 1887. p. 
