Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/334

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298
TURKEY BUZZARD.


metallic. The head and upper part of the neck are destitute of feathers, having a red wrinkled skin, sparsely covered with short black hair, and downy behind. Feathers of the neck full and rounded, concealing the naked crop. Wings ample, long ; the first quill rather short, the third and fourth longest. Tail longish, rounded, of twelve broad straight feathers.

Bill at the tip yellowish-white ; the cere and the naked part of the head of a tint approaching to blood-red. Iris dark brown. Feet flesh- colouredj tinged with yellow ; claws black. The general colour of the plumage is blackish-brown, deepest on the neck and under parts, the wing-coverts broadly margined with brown ; the back glossed with brown and greenish tints ; the tail purplish-black ; the under parts of a sooty brown, on the breast glossed with green.

Length 32 inches, extent of wings 6 feet 4 inches ; bill 2^ along the ridge, 2/^ along the gap; tarsus 2^, middle-toe 3^.

Young fully fledged. Plate CLI. Fig. 2.

The bill is, of course, shorter and more slender, its horny tip pale blue, black on the back ; the skin of the head is flesh-coloured, the iris yellowish, the feet flesh-coloured. The plumage is nearly of the same colour as in the adult.