American ornithology; or, The natural history of the birds of the United States

Abstract

Pages 3-10, Turkey vulture Page 5, footnote: "Perouse saw a bird, which he calls the black vulture, probably the vultur aura, at Monterey Bay, North California. Voyage, ii, p. 203." NOTE: I checked out Perouse - in a list of birds at Monterey in September, he just lists "vautour noire:" Bonaparte wouldn't have expected condors there, so what did Perouse actually see??? Page 10: "Since the above has been ready for the press, we have seen the History of the Expedition under the command of Louis and Clark, and find our conjecture with respect to the migration of the turkey buzzard verified, several of this species having been observed at Brant Island, near the Falls of the Columbia." Footnote: History of the Expedition, vol. ii, p. 233. NOTE: Actually, this was the first report by the expedition of the California condor - reported as a large turkey buzzard, but with white on the wings. Lewis and Clark make clear elsewhere that they didn't see any turkey vultures west of the Rocky Mountains.