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Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ... Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

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86 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM as the tracheal air sac. The dorsal wall of the esophagus bordering the line of the muscular neck is thickened, while the distended anterior saclike portion is much thinner. This portion of the esophagus is obviously capable of considerable inflation, and remains broad and full even in the alcoholic specimen. Below the distension the esophageal walls are thickened as is normal. The lingual muscles covering the hyoids are unusually heavy and well developed, as are the muscular slings that support the hyoidean apparatus below the head. Muscular attachments are evident on the lateral walls of the upper end of the esophagus, but in the specimen available I am unable to make out their arrangement. It is evident that the atrophy of the tracheal air sac has been replaced by this curious esophageal expansion, a structure en- tirely absent in E. jatnaicensis. The syrinx has no lateral bulb, agreeing thus with jamaicensis. Female specimens of vlttata were not examined, but it seems probable that the structures described above are of a sexual nature and confined to the male. Order FALCONIFORMES Family CATHARTIDAE CATHARTES URUBITINGA Pelzeln Cathartes Urubutinga Pelzeln, Sitz. Kais. Akad. Wiss., vol. 44, 1861, p. 7. (Sapitiba, Irisanga, and Fort San Joaquim, Brazil.) In his account of the Birds of British Guiana, 1916 (p. 211), Chubb takes Cathartes ruficoUis Spix as the name for the yellowheaded vulture, a usage that more recently has been followed by Swann.^'^ On examining the original account of Cathartes rufi- coUis^^ it is found that it is described as having the head red, the wing coverts brownish, and the shafts of the primaries dark, char- acters that indicate that this name refers to Cathartes aura, so that 7'uficollis is not available for the yellow-headed bird, which must be known as uruhitinga Pelzeln as above noted. In his original de- scription Pelzeln described uruhitinga on the basis of specimens col- lected by Natterer in Brazil without definite citation of locality. Later ^® he cites nine specimens collected by Natterer at Sapitiba, in the district of Rio Janeiro, Irisanga, near the Rio Mogyguassu in northern Sao Paulo, and Fort San Joaquim, on the Rio Branco in extreme northern Brazil, not far from the frontier of British Guiana. The name uruhitinga, therefore, is based on birds from these three localities. B7 Syn. Acclpitres, ed. 2, pt. 1, Sept. 28, 1921, p. 4. s^ Spix, Avium Spec Nov. Brasiliam, vol. 1, 1824, p. 2. s» Ornith. Brasiliens, 1871, p. 1.

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 87 The yellow-headed vulture was observed first at Resistencia, Chaco, on July 8 and 10, 1920. From July 16 to August 1 the species was recorded at Las Palmas, Chaco, and from August 9 to 19 at the Eiacho Pilaga, Formosa. In the locality last named it was more common than the red-headed turkey vulture. At Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, the yellow-headed vulture was seen on September 1, and at the ranch at Kilometer 80, west of that point, it was recorded on September 8, 9, and 15. One was observed at Lazcano, Uruguay, on February 8, 1921. The bird was found in the same territory as the turkey vulture, often in company with that species, of which it is a counterpart in general appearance, actions, and habits. On cold winter mornings the birds remained in their roosts until the sun had warmed the air, and on cold, cloudy days remained wholly inactive; but in sunny weather I seldom sat down to care for birds that I had killed without one or more of these vultures swinging overhead to observe what I was about. Like the turkey vulture, they have a graceful flight as they quarter tirelessly back and forth in search for food, or soar in great circles high in air. At times they rest in dead trees, or may alight in heavy woods if attracted by any movement or activity that seems to promise food. They appear slight in body for their wing expanse, and are tough and hard to kill, [n a wounded individual I noted that the sides of the concave horny tongue tip were capable of being appressed to a considerable degree. The species was readily distinguished in life from the turkey vul- ture by the distinctly yellow head. A male killed near Las Palmar, Chaco, on July 20 had the head colored in a striking manner. The bill was cream buff, shading to vinaceous buff on a broad area that extended onto the forehead, behind the nostrils; side of the head in general, including eyelids, deep chrome; center of crown dark Ty- rian blue, bordered on either side by a broad band of stone green; skin of throat posteriorly deep chrome, becoming paler forward, to shade into olive buff toward base of bill ; space between mandibular rami spotted with dark Tyrian blue ; a dull spot of slate blue beneath the nostrils on either side ; iris carmine ; tarsus cartridge buff, shad- ing to neutral gray on the toes, where the interscutal spaces have a scurfy whitish appearance. A female taken at Kilometer 182, Formosa, on August 13, 1920, was preserved as a skeleton. The species does not seem to have been seen previously in Uruguay, but I include the Lazcano record without hesitation, though no specimen was taken, as one bird rested on a fence post while I passed at a distance of 10 meters, so that I had an exceptionally clear view of it. The red-headed and yellow-headed vultures have been involved in much confusion, as though easily distinguished in life, in the field,

86 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM<br />

as the tracheal air sac. The dorsal wall of the esophagus bordering<br />

the line of the muscular neck is thickened, while the distended<br />

anterior saclike portion is much thinner. This portion of the<br />

esophagus is obviously capable of con<strong>si</strong>derable inflation, and remains<br />

broad and full even in the alcoholic specimen. Below the<br />

disten<strong>si</strong>on the esophageal walls are thickened as is normal.<br />

The lingual muscles covering the hyoids are unusually heavy and<br />

well developed, as are the muscular slings that support the hyoidean<br />

apparatus below the head. Muscular attachments are evident on<br />

the lateral walls of the upper end of the esophagus, but in the<br />

specimen available I am unable to make out their arrangement.<br />

It is evident that the atrophy of the tracheal air sac has been<br />

replaced by this curious esophageal expan<strong>si</strong>on, a structure en-<br />

tirely absent in E. jatnaicen<strong>si</strong>s. The syrinx has no lateral bulb,<br />

agreeing thus with jamaicen<strong>si</strong>s. Female specimens of vlttata were<br />

not examined, but it seems probable that the structures described<br />

above are of a sexual nature and confined to the male.<br />

Order FALCONIFORMES<br />

Family CATHARTIDAE<br />

CATHARTES URUBITINGA Pelzeln<br />

Cathartes Urubutinga Pelzeln, Sitz. Kais. Akad. Wiss., vol. 44, 1861, p. 7.<br />

(Sapitiba, Irisanga, and Fort San Joaquim, Brazil.)<br />

In his account of the Birds of British Guiana, 1916 (p. 211),<br />

Chubb takes Cathartes ruficoUis Spix as the name for the yellowheaded<br />

vulture, a usage that more recently has been followed by<br />

Swann.^'^ On examining the original account of Cathartes rufi-<br />

coUis^^ it is found that it is described as having the head red, the<br />

wing coverts brownish, and the shafts of the primaries dark, char-<br />

acters that indicate that this name refers to Cathartes aura, so that<br />

7'uficollis is not available for the yellow-headed bird, which must be<br />

known as uruhitinga Pelzeln as above noted. In his original de-<br />

scription Pelzeln described uruhitinga on the ba<strong>si</strong>s of specimens col-<br />

lected by Natterer in Brazil without definite citation of locality.<br />

Later ^® he cites nine specimens collected by Natterer at Sapitiba, in<br />

the district of Rio Janeiro, Irisanga, near the Rio Mogyguassu in<br />

northern Sao Paulo, and Fort San Joaquim, on the Rio Branco in<br />

extreme northern Brazil, not far from the frontier of British Guiana.<br />

The name uruhitinga, therefore, is based on birds from these three<br />

localities.<br />

B7 Syn. Acclpitres, ed. 2, pt. 1, Sept. 28, 1921, p. 4.<br />

s^ Spix, Avium Spec Nov. Bra<strong>si</strong>liam, vol. 1, 1824, p. 2.<br />

s» Ornith. Bra<strong>si</strong>liens, 1871, p. 1.

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