. Rapacious birds of Ohio . rong, of moderate size, covered with scales; claws strongand arched, middle toe long, hind one very short. To this genus belongthe two species of vultures which inhabit Ohio. Cathartes Aura—Linn—Turkey Buzzard. Wilsons Amer. Orn., IX., pi. 75, fig. 1; Audubons Birds of America,oct. ed., I., pi. 2. Plumage brownish black, darker on the neck and up-per parts, some of these feathershaving a purplish lustre; bill ting-ed with yellow; head and neck,bright red, naked or thinly sprink-led with down, skin wrinkled; feetflesh-colored, tinged with yellow;length of skin, from
. Rapacious birds of Ohio . rong, of moderate size, covered with scales; claws strongand arched, middle toe long, hind one very short. To this genus belongthe two species of vultures which inhabit Ohio. Cathartes Aura—Linn—Turkey Buzzard. Wilsons Amer. Orn., IX., pi. 75, fig. 1; Audubons Birds of America,oct. ed., I., pi. 2. Plumage brownish black, darker on the neck and up-per parts, some of these feathershaving a purplish lustre; bill ting-ed with yellow; head and neck,bright red, naked or thinly sprink-led with down, skin wrinkled; feetflesh-colored, tinged with yellow;length of skin, from 30 to 32 in,;extent of wings from 6 feet to 6feet 4 inches; tail 12 inches. Nospecimen in Museum of ClevelandAcademy of Natural Science. At the present time, these birds are to be found distributed over a greatpart of the State, and prior to 1832-4 were very numerous around Cleve-land. A favorite roosting place was in the immediate vicinity of wherethe Medical College now stands; but since that period, owing to some un-. 344 known reason, the birds have entirely deserted their old haunt, and areseldom to be seen within many miles of Cleveland. In Huron, Erie andSandusky counties they are comparatively plentiful, and their nests aresaid to be occasionally found on tall oak trees. In the neighborhood ofChillicothe, Eoss county, they are abundant, and Mr. Winslow believesthey pass the winter there. In the southern part of the State they arequite common. The turkey buzzard feeds principally on carrion, and is therefore a bene-factor, by removing putrid animal remains that would otherwise taint theair. According to Audubon it lays only two eggs, and builds its nest onthe ground, at the roots of trees, or among long grass; and he says that itwill eat the young and eggs of herons, and other birds. The eggs arelarge, cream-colored, with markings of brown and black on the largestend. The young are, in all probability, fed by regurgitation, in the man-ner of pigeons, this being the h
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirdsof, bookyear1859
