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.)
Original description.—“The bill is long, and straight almost to the
point, where it is hooked or bent suddenly down, and sharp; the head
and neck bare of feathers nearly down to the stomach, when the
feathers begin to cover the skin, and soon become long and of a soft
texture, forming a ruff or tippet, in which the bird, by contracting
his neck, can hide that as well as his head; the bare skin on the neck
appears loose and wrinkled, which is of a bright yellow colour,
intermixed with coral red; the hinder part of the neck is nearly
covered with short stiff hair; and the skin of this part of the neck
is of a dun purple colour, gradually becoming red as it approaches the
yellow of the sides and forepart. The crown of the head is red; there
are lobed lappets of a reddish orange colour, which lay on the base of
the upper mandible. The plumage of the bird is generally white or
cream colour, except the quill feathers of the wings and two or three
rows of the coverts, which are beautiful dark brown; the tail, which
is rather large and _white_, is tipped with this dark brown or black;
the legs and feet of a clear white; the eye is encircled with a gold
coloured iris, the pupil black.” Bartram, as above, p. 150, 151.
Obs. The identification of the bird here described, may be considered as
one of the most important services to be performed in North American
Ornithology. Its occurrence has never been noticed since the time of the
accurate and veracious naturalist who first described it, and his
careful description above quoted seems to clearly indicate it to be a
species entirely unknown. The white tail especially is characteristic,
and establishes a clear distinction from any other known species. It is
related evidently to the King Vulture, (_S. papa_,) but that species has
a black tail, and in case of mistake or misprint in Bartram’s
description, it may be presumed at any rate to relate to an occurrence
of that species within the United States. There is no more inviting nor
more singular problem in North American Ornithology.
C.
SPECIES, THE OCCURRENCE OF WHICH IN THE UNITED STATES IS DOUBTFUL.