61 JOURNAL, BOMBAY liATURAL mST. SOOmTT, Vol. XXVU 



i ) 



Vultur monachus. 



Otoffups calvus. 



It is possible that the distribution of this species 

 in the Punjab has extended considerably since the 

 fannaof Brit ah India was written. Flourishing vil- 

 lages having come into existence, canal colouies, 

 where erstwhile was nothing but a sandy waste, 

 ensures a plentiful supply of food, and trees on 

 which they can build. 



The flight of this bird is very similar to the other 

 vultures. When flying low and to or from a place 

 the wings are held slightly back, though not so much 

 as in "Otogyps. " When soaring, however, this 

 tendency is not .'*o noticeable. It can easily bo dis- 

 tinguished from the other four Punjab species, first 

 by its smaller size and in the adult, by the amount 

 of white on its rump. 



As this is the last species of the true vultures to 

 be dealt with, it may be as well to gUe a rough 

 description of the 5 species to be found in the Pun- 

 jab, and what they look like on the wing, taking of 

 course normal adult birds. 



"Very large ; wings held in a line with the body 

 and apparently very broad ; colouring more or less 

 uniform throughotit and varying from deep brown 

 in some specimens, to almost jet bla-jk in others. 



Large; wings held well above the back ; colour 

 jet black with a narrow whitish line running down 

 the centre of each wing (not always very conspi- 

 cuous) ; white thigh and crop patches very conspi- 

 cuous ; if at close range, naked livid skin might also 

 be seen near the white patches. 



Very large; wings held in a line with the body, 

 colour throughout very pale dirty white, except the 

 margins of the open wings and the tail which are 

 black. The front half or the bird thus appears pale 

 coloured and the back half black. 



Very similar to the above, and the two are not 

 easily distinguishable from each other. This spe- 

 cies is a little lighter and cleaner looking on the 

 pale under parts. This species is hardly likely to 

 be found on the plains, whereas the former (fulvus) 

 does not ascend the hills to any great height.' 



Smaller than all except O. co/ws: wings maybe 



held slightly backward or level with the body: the 



body (lark, wing lining and sides of lody white or 



> ' li;iht coloured ahd margins of the extended wing 



blackish. ' ' , 



It a view of the back is obtained, a prominent 



white patch will be seen on the lower portion of the 



: back, the rest of the upper parts appearing almost 



black. ■ ' . 



The White-backed Vidture breeds in treefe from about October till March. 



They usually bmld in colonies, either PevePal' nests rn a tU)<Ae tree, or on 



adjoining ti-eesall along a canal "bank. A iiiicle egg is laid, generally dull 



■white but somefcHnes marked with reddish brown and measuring on an 



average 3-2b by 2 42. (Blauford.) 



Gyps fulvus 



G. himalayensis. 



Pseudoff;;ps ' 

 benyalensia. 



