ZOOLOGY. 
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CATHARTES CALIFORNIANUS, Cuvier. 
The California Vulture. 
Vultur calif ornianus, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pi., 301, (1779.) 
Fultur columbianus, Ord, Guthrie’s Geog., II, 315, (1815.) 
Cathartes vulturinus, Tbmm. Pla. col. I, pi. 31, (1820.) 
Cathartes calif ornianus, Cuyier, Regne An. ed. Ib. 2, p. 316. 
Baird and Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds. 
Figures. —Aud. B. of Am., pi. 411, oct. ed. I, pi- 1 ; Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, pi. 2. 
The largest rapacious bird of North America. Head and neck bare, with a semicircular spot of short black feathers at the 
base of the upper mandible, and a few straggling, short, or hair-like feathers on other parts of the head. Plumage commencing 
on the neck, near the body, with a ruff of long lanceolate feathers continued on the breast. 
Entire plumage black, lustrous on the upper parts, duller below; secondary quills with a grayish tinge; greater wing coverts 
tipped with white, forming a transverse band on the wing. Bill yellowish white; iris carmine; head and neck in living bird 
orange yellow and red. 
Total length, 45 to 50 inches; wing, 30 to 35; tail 15 to 18 inches. 
Hab. Western North America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 
The Californian vulture visits the Columbia river in fall, when its shores are lined with great 
numbers of dead salmon, on which this and the other vultures, besides crows, ravens, and many 
quadrupeds, feast for a couple of months. While the expedition was travelling near the upper 
Columbia, in the fall of 1853, I saw none of this species, though turkey buzzards were common, 
and I concluded that these did not extend their wanderings eastward of the Cascade mountains. 
On our return to Vancouver, November 18, none were to be seen there, and as the rainy season 
had set in I supposed they had retired south. In January, 1854, I saw, during a very cold 
period, a bird which I took for this, from its great size, peculiar flight, and long bare neck, 
which it stretched out as it sat on a high dead tree, so as to be scarcely mistakable for any other 
bird. The river being then frozen solid, and the ground covered with snow, it did not appear 
to admire the scenery and soon started off towards the south. During several voyages on the 
Columbia, in summer and spring, as well as a long residence near its mouth, I never again saw 
this bird, and must consider it only a visitor at certain seasons, and not a resident even during 
summer. Townsend supposed he saw its nests along the Columbia, but did not examine them, 
and was probably mistaken. I neither saw it nor heard of its occurrence at Puget Sound.—C. 
The Californian vulture, according to Nuttall, (see Manual, 2d ed.,) is a summer resident of 
Oregon; Townsend and Audubon also speak of its occurrence there. It was my misfortune to 
be absent from the main salmon fisheries at the annual period, when this bird is said to be 
abundant, and I was therefore unable to obtain, or even see, a single individual. I do not doubt 
the correctness of Mr. Nuttall’s statement, and am pleased to bear testimony to the great 
general accuracy of his recorded observations concerning the natural history of Oregon. Since 
his manual was written the old “Territory of Oregon” has been divided, and its northern 
portion, or all that lying north of the Columbia and east of Walla-Walla, of the 46th parallel, 
now forms the Territory of Washington. The fauna of both Territories is very similar, and, 
with but few exceptions, the statement that a bird or quadruped is found in one is very pre¬ 
sumptive evidence that it is, at least, accidental in the other.—S. 
