6 
U, S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
CATHARTES BURRO VIANUS, Cass in. 
Burrough’s Vulture. 
Cathartes burrovianus, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. II, 212. (1845.) 
The smallest of all vultures. Resembling C. aura, but smaller and without a ruff on the neck, as in that species. Plumage 
on the neck ascending behind, as in C. atratxis, but rather short, wings long, tail rounded, rather long. 
Entire plumage deep uniform black, deeper and more uniform than in C. aura, shafts of quills white, head and neck red. 
Total length, about 22 inches ; wing, 18 inches ; tail 8| inches. 
Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz ; Mazatlan, Lower California. Spec, in Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 
This little vulture, the smallest of the entire group of vultures, is an inhabitant of the coasts 
of Mexico and Lower California, of the former both on the Pacific ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, 
and very likely extends its range along the shores of the Pacific into the territory of the 
United States. It can readily he distinguished by its small size, and the ascending feathers on 
the hack of the neck, totally unlike the ruff of C. aura, which, in general aspect, it resembles. 
The above four species are all the vultures ascertained to inhabit the United States. In 
addition to them, it is quite likely that the king vulture of South America, Sarcoramphus 
papa,, may venture occasionally into the States on the southern frontier, being known to appear 
at times in Mexico. The sacred vulture of Bartram, Sarcorhamphus sacer, is a species described 
by that author, in the last century, as abundant in Florida, but has not been observed or 
identified anywhere since his time. This has tended to throw a doubt on its existence, but 
recent information renders it probable that this, or at least a species different from the vultures 
just described, is found about Lake Okechobee, in Southern Florida, where it is called king 
buzzard. The verification of this statement by actual specimens would be one of the most 
important discoveries yet to be made in North American ornithology. The following is 
Bartram’s description : 
“ Bill long and straight almost to the point, where it is hooked or bent suddenly down, and sharp ; the head and neck bare 
of feathers nearly down to the stomach, when the feathers begin to cover the skin, and soon become long and of a soft texture, 
forming a ruff or tippet, in which the bird, by contracting his neck, can hide that as well as his head ; the bare skin on the neck 
appears loose and wrinkled, which is of a bright yellow color, intermixed with coral red ; the hinder part of the neck is nearly 
covered with short stiff hair; and the skin of this part of the neck is of a dense purple color, gradually becoming red as i 
approaches the yellow of the sides and fore part. The crown of the head is red ; there are lobed lappets of a reddish orange 
color, which lay on the base of the upper mandible. The plumage of the bird is generally white or cream color, except the quill 
feathers of the wings and two or three rows of the coverts, which are beautiful dark brown ; the tail, which is rather large and 
white, is tipped with this dark brown or black ; the legs and feet of a clear white ; the eye is encircled with a gold colored iris, 
the pupil black.”— Bartram, Travels in Florida, Sfc. 1791, p. 150. 
