CATHARISTA ATRATA. 
331 
GENUS II. CAT1IARISTA. THE SQUARE-TAILED VULTURES. 
Gen. Cn. Bill, long and rather slender. Head, destitute of feathers, hut the neck is covered behind, and there is no 
naked space on the breast. Tail, short and square. Sternum, long, at least equaling twice its width in length. The four 
marginal indentations are open. Furcula, not very wide at base. 
Tbs sterno-trachealis is quite thick, but there are no other laryngeal muscles. The inferior larynx is very small, and 
there are no tympaniform or semilunar membranes, while the lower portions of bronchials are membraneous. The trachea 
is much'flattened throughout. The oesophagus is dilated near the middle into a very large crop, and the walls are usually 
very thin. The provcntriculus is very large, with the walls quite thick, and composed of numerous, small, simple, glands, 
arranged in a zonular band which measures from l'OO to 1'25 in width. Thestomach is small, somewhat globular inform, 
with quite thin walls, lined with a soft membrane. There is a pyloric lobe, '75 in diameter. The fold of the duodenum 
is very long, measuring from 8'00 to lO'OO, and incloses a small, irregularly formed pancreas which only occupies a short 
portion of its entire length, near stomach. Coeca, wanting. Both lobes of the liver are short, thick, and nearly equal in 
size. The heart is large and triangular in form. The spleen is an oval-shaped body situated on the proventriculus. There 
is but one species within our limits. 
CATHARISTA ATRATA. 
Black-headed Buzzard. 
Calharista atrala Gray, Hand List, I; 1869. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout, with the keel considerably arched. Tongue, moderately long, 
fleshy, deeply concave above, and the edges are provided with numerous, fine soft papillae which point backward. The 
tip is rounded but not bifid. Sexes, similar in color. 
Color. Adult. Uniform dark brownish-black throughout, with a greenish iridescence on both surfaces, becoming 
lighter on the primaries, especially on the outer webs of two thirds of the basal portions, where the colors are very light, 
and the shafts are white. 
Young. Quite similar to the adult, but less iridescent and the feathers extend up further on the back cf the neck, 
reaching the occiput. 
Nestlings. Are, at first, covered with a dirty-white down then gradually assume the plumage last described. Head 
and neck, black and covered with short, black hairs, iris, bill, and feet, dark-brown, in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is a little variation in plumage, some specimens being darker or lighter than the type. This species may be at 
once recognized by the square tail, black head and colors as described. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout the 
Carolinas and southward, not very common north of this point but straggling into New England as far as Maine. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of female specimens from Florida. Length, 26'00; stretch, 58-00; wing, 17*25; tail, 8 00; bill, 
115; tarsus, 3’28. Longest specimen, 27-00; greatast extent of wing, 60'00; longest wing, I8'00; tail,8-50; bill, U30; tarsus, 
3 35. Shortast specimen, 25-00; smallest extent of wing, 56"00; shortest wing, 16"50; tail, 7"50; bill, l - 00; tarsus, 2"25. 
Average measurements of male specimens from Florida. Length, 25-00; stretch, 57-50; wing, 16-75; tail, 7*45; bill, 
1-10; tarsus, 3-15. Longast specimen, 26'00; greatest extent of wing, 59 - 00; longest wing, 17'50; tail, 775; bill, P20; tar¬ 
sus, 3'20. Shortest specimen, 24-00; smallest extent of wing, 56 - 00; shortest wing, 16-00; tail, 7‘60; bill, POO; tarsus, 3'00. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground or occasionally on prostrate logs, in the woods; but little or no material is used in con- 
. structing them. 
Eggs, one or two in number, varying from elliptical to oval in form, yellowish-white or creamy in color, blotched and 
spotted with very dark-brown and umber. Dimensions from 2 - 05x3 - 00 to 210x3 10. 
HABITS. 
As will be seen by the description, the Black-headed Vultures differ greatly from the 
preceding species in form and anatomical structure, and they also differ widely in habit; 
so widely, in fact, that the two species scarcely have any peculiarities in common. It is 
