Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/333

Rh in the streets of the southern cities, along with their relatives, and often roost with them on the same trees. They breed on the ground, or at the bottom of hollow trees and prostrate trunks, and lay only tzoo eggs. These are large, of a light cream-colour, splashed toward the great end with large irregular markings of black and brown. The young- somewhat resemble those of the Black Vulture, and take a long time be- fore they can fly. Both species drink water freely, and in doing this im- merse their bill to the base, and take a long draught at a time. They both breed at the same period, or nearly so, and raise only one brood in the season.

I have found birds of this species apparently very old, with the up- per parts of their mandibles, and the ^Tinkled skin around their eyes, so diseased as to render them scarcely able to feed amongst others, all of which seldom failed to take advantage of their infirmities. I have repre- sented the adult male in full plumage, along with a young bird, procured in the autumn of its first year. The average weight of a full grown bird is 6^ lb., about 1 lb. less than that of the Carrion Crow.

Cathartes aura, Illiger, Prodr. p. 236 — Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 22 Richards, and Swains. Fauna Boreali-Amer. part ii. p. 4.

Turkey Vulture or Turkey Buzzard, Vdltur aura, Wils. Amer. Omith. vol. ix. p. 96, pi. 75- fig- 1 Nutall, Manual, part i. p. 43. Adult Male. Plate CLT. Fig. 1.

Bill nearly as long as the head, strong, straight at the base, compress- ed ; the upper mandible covered beyond the middle by the cere, its dor- sal outline nearly straight, being slightly undulated, its tip large, curved, and pointed, and of a boney hardness ; the edge with a slight undula- tion ; lower mandible with the end rounded, and having a broad groove. Nostrils medial, approximate, oblong, pervious, of very large size, and forming an open space, into which posteriorly open the two nasal tubes, which are furnished each with a valve. Head elongated, small, neck rather long, body robust. Feet strong ; tarsus roundish, covered with small hexagonal scales ; toes scutellate above, the middle one much lon- ger, the two lateral nearly equal, and united to the middle one at the base by a web, the hind-toe small. Claws arched, strong, acute, that of the hind-toe smallest.

Plumage rather compact, with ordinary lustre, the back somewhat