Size, large. Plumage commencing on the neck near the body, with a ruff of long, lanceolate feathers, which are continued on the breast. Head and neck bare, or with a few short feathers on the vertex, and at the base of the upper mandible; bill rather long, nostrils small, communicating with each other; wings long, primaries pointed; tail long, slightly rounded; tarsi and feet very strong.
Entire plumage black, many feathers narrowly tipped with brown, secondary quills with a grayish tinge, greater coverts tipped with white, which forms a transverse bar on the wing. Bill, yellowish white. Iris, carmine. Head and neck, in living bird, orange yellow. (Gambel.)
Total length (of skin) about 45 inches, wing 31, tail 15 inches.
Hab. California, Oregon. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This large Vulture is inferior only in this family to the Condor of South America. It is restricted to the countries west of the Rocky mountains, where in the vicinity of rivers it is occasionally abundant, living principally on dead fishes. It appears to be, however, more cautious and timid in its habits than the other birds of this group, and constructs its nest in the remote recesses of the mountains.
B.
SPECIES PROBABLY OCCURRING IN THE UNITED STATES.
1. Cathartes burrovianus. Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. II. p. 212, (1845.) Burrough’s Vulture.
Resembling C. aura, but much smaller. Plumage on the neck ascending behind, as in C. atratus; bill, rather short; tail, rounded; tarsi, rather long. Entire plumage, deep uniform black, without brown edgings.
Total length of prepared specimen, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 22 inches, wing 18, tail 8½ inches.
Hab. Mexico, Vera Cruz (Dr. Burrough), Mazatlan (Dr. Gambel). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This is the smallest of all known Vultures, and though strictly of the same genus as C. aura, may readily be recognized by its small size. It is very probably to be found in California, and the late Dr. Gambel thought that he had seen it in that country, and at Mazatlan. (Jour. Acad. Philada. I. p. 26, quarto.)
II. GENUS SARCORAMPHUS. Dumeril Anal. p. 32, (1806.)
GYPAGUS. Vieill, Anal. p. 21, (1816.)
Head and neck naked, the former with an elevated fleshy caruncle. In all other characters much resembling Cathartes.
2. Sarcoramphus sacer. (Bartram) The Sacred Vulture. Vultur sacra. Bartram, Travels in Florida, p. 150, (1791.)