266 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVL 



Distribution. 

 Habits. 



Measuremetits. 



No. 1193. 



" Bill horny brown or dusky yellowish, paler on the 

 culmen in adults, greenish horny in younger birds ; 

 cere black ; iris brownish yellow ; legs and feet dirty 

 yellow to greenish grey." (Blanford.) 

 Throughout the Punjab plains and lower hills. 



Similar to other vultures. Builds in cliffs in the 

 hills, in colonit'S and on high trees in the plains, 

 between February and March. The nest is loosely 

 constructed of sticks, and there is one pure white 

 egg. Very occasionally it is spotted and measures 

 3-65 by •2-7. 



This and the next species, though impossible to 

 separate from one another on the wing, are very 

 easy to differentiate from any of the other vultures, 

 by the amount of white in the plumage. 



In the air, the whole bird appears to be a dirty 

 white with the exception of a black edge to the 

 wing quills and a black tail. The amount of black 

 and white on the wings is very nearly evenly divid- 

 ed, the white being somewhat in excess. 



The flight is very similar to Y. monachus, but the 

 wings do not appear to be so broad in proportion 

 to size. 



This species as already stated is very similar to 

 the next, and for a long time the two were con- 

 sidered one and the same bird. Mr. Hume, I think, 

 was the first to point out the differences and con- 

 sider them worthy of conferrins specific rank. The 

 chief points of difference are: — G. fnlvus has a 

 somewhat shorter and stouter bill ; is smaller in 

 size ; has more down on the head, face, and neck, 

 and is more rufescent generally, than the paler 

 Himalayan variety. In habits, too, there is a marked 

 difference between them, G. fidvus building in trees 

 whereas G. hi ma l^i yen sis invariably builds in cliffs. 



Again, in G. fulvus the 3rd, primary is the longest, 

 whereas in G. himalayensis it is the 4th, which is the 

 longest. 



Length 41 to 47" ; wing 26 to 29"; tail 13"; tarsus 

 4-.5", and expanse 94 to 106". 



Family VULTURID^. 

 Type B. 

 Genus Gyps. 

 Gyps himalayensis, The Himalayan Griffon. 



Charactenstics. 

 Colouration. 



Size very large ; 4th, primary longest ; lower plu- 

 mao'e with broad shaft stripes. 



The head, cheeks, throat and chin covered with 

 whitish hair-like feathers and white down on the 

 neck. The basal portion of the back and sides 

 of neck bare, and tufts of down in front of the 

 neck. The ruff at the back of the base of the neck 

 composed of lanceolate feathers about 3" long, pale 

 brown with whitish centres The whole of the back 

 plumage varies from light brown to white on the 



