ZOOLOGY. 
141 
CATHARTES CALIFORNIANUS, Cuvier. 
The California Vulture. 
Vultur californianus Shaw, Nat. Misc., pi. 301, (1779.) 
Vidtur Columbians, Ord, Guthrie’s Geog., II, 315, (1815.) 
Cathartes vulturinus, Temm. Pla. col. I, pi. 31, (1820.) 
Cathartes Californians, Cuvier, 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, Geu. 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 
commtfn, 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. NuttalPs 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 
presumptive evidence that it is, at least, accidental in the other.—S. 
