Plumage commencing higher on the back of the neck than on its sides or in front, and there consisting of short feathers. Head and naked portion of the neck, warted or corrugated, and thinly covered with short hair-like feathers, bill rather long, nostrils large, and communicating with each other; tail, even; legs, rather long. Entire plumage, deep uniform black, with a bluish gloss; under surface of primaries nearly white. Total length (of skin) about 23 inches, wing 16½; tail 8½ inches. Hab. Southern States, Texas (Audubon), California, Oregon (U. S. Ex. Exp. Vincennes). Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada. Obs. Abundant in the Southern States, and gregarious, congregating in large numbers in the cities, where they are of service in the destruction of all descriptions of rejected or waste animal matter. The South American bird usually regarded as identical with this bird, is the _Vultur brasiliensis_. Ray. It is considerably smaller, and otherwise quite distinct. 3. Cathartes californianus. (Shaw) The Californian Vulture. Vultur californianus. Shaw, Nat. Misc. IX. p. 1, pl. 301. (1797.) Vultur columbianus. Ord. Guthries’ Geog. II. p. 315. (1815.) Cathartes vulturinus. Temm. Pl. col. I. pl. 31. (1820.) Aud. B. of Am. pl. 411. Gray Gen. of B. pl. 2. Licht. Trans. Berlin Acad. 1838, pl. 1. 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.