Genus CATHARISTA, Vieillot.
- Catharista, Vieill. 1816. (Type, Vultur atratus, Bartram.)
- Coragypys, I. Geoffroy, 1854.
- Cathartes, Auct. (in part).
Gen. Char. Size of Rhinogryphus, but more robust, with shorter wings, and very different flight. Wings with the remiges abbreviated, the primaries scarcely reaching to the middle of the tail. Tail even, or faintly emarginated. Head and upper portion of the neck naked, the feathers extending farther up behind than in front; naked skin of the side of the neck transversely corrugated; no bristles before the eye. Nostril narrow, occupying only about the posterior half of the nasal orifice, its anterior end contracted and acute. Cere not contracted anteriorly, but the upper and lower outline parallel; much depressed, or broader than deep. Plumage beginning gradually on the neck with normal, or broad and rounded, feathers. Fourth or fifth quill longest; outer five with inner webs sinuated. Tarsus longer than middle toe.
Catharista atrata. ¼ nat. size.
This well-marked genus is composed of a single species, which is confined to the tropical and warm temperate portions of America. The difference from the other Vultures which this bird exhibits in its habits, and especially in its flight, is very striking, and furnishes additional characters distinctive of the genus.
Catharista atrata (Bartram).
CARRION CROW; BLACK VULTURE.
Vultur atratus, Bartram, Trav. Carol. 285, 1792.—Meyer, Zool. Ann. I, 290.—Ord (Wils.) Am. Orn. pl. lxxv, f. 2.—Aud. Birds Am. pl. cvi.—Brewst. Ed. Journ. Sc. Ser. 1, VI, 156. Cathartes atratus, Less. Man. Orn. I, 73, 1828.—Rich. & Swains. F. B. A. II, 6, 1831.—Darw. Journ. Res. p. 68; Zool. Beag. pt. iii, p. 7.—Swains. Classif. B. II, 206.—James. (Wils.) Am. Orn. I, 10.—Brewer (Wils.) Am. Orn. Synop. Birds Am. p. 682.—Ib. N. A. Oölogy.—Aud. Synop. Birds Am. p. 3.—Bridg. Proc. Zoöl. Soc. pt. xi, p. 108; Am. Nat. Hist. XIII, 498.—Bonap. Consp. p. 9.—De Kay, Zoöl. N. Y. II, 3.—Reich. Prakt. Nat. Vög. p. 27.—Cass. Bird N. Am. 1858, 5.—Coues, Key, 1872, 222. Catharista atratus, Gray, Hand List, I, 1869, 3, No. 16. Vultur aura niger β, Kerr, Transl. Gmel. 473, 1792. Vultur aura (not of Linn.
!), Daud. Tr. Orn. II, 19 (quotes Pl. Enl. 187, 1800). Vultur urubu, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. pl. ii, 1807.—Lath. Gen. Hist. I, 14. Cathartes urubu, Less. Tr. Orn. p. 27, 1831.—D’Orb. Voy. Am. Mérid. Ois. p. 31, pl. i. Percnopterus urubu, Steph. Zoöl. XIII, 7, pl. xxxi, 1826. Vultur iota, Jard. (Wils.) Am. Orn. III, 226, 1832.—Ord (Wils.) Am. Orn. (ed. 2). Neophron iota, Cuv. Règ. An. (ed. 2), I, 317, 1829. Cathartes iota, Bonap. Ann. Lyc. N. B. p. 23; Isis, 1832, p. 1135; List, p. 1.—King, Voy. Beag. I, 532.—Nutt. Man. I, 46.—Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. VIII, 59. Cathartes fœtens, Illig. Mus. Berol.—Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 63, 1823.—Gray, Gen. B. sp. 1, pl. i, f. 3.—Max. Beitr. III, 58.—Rich. Schomb. Faun. Brit. Guian. p. 742.—Cab. Av. Consp. Wieg. Archiv, 1844, 262; Faun. Per. Orn. p. 71.—Hartl. Syst. Ind. Azar. p. 1.