^32 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. S00I:BTY, Vol. XXYL 



In flight it resembles the Lammergeyer pretty closely, except in point 

 of size. Long narrow wings and a wedge-shaped tail proclaim the 

 Neophron from afar. In its adult plumage, it is still more unmistakable, 

 being practically wholly white with a jet black margin to the wings. 

 The young birds may vary from almost a dirty black throughout to 

 various degrees of black and white, frequently in patches^ depending 

 6n age. 



On the wing, the colouring of the under surface is not unlike an adult 

 Grifl'on, but whereas the black wing margin is interrupted by a white tail 

 in Neophron, it is continuous in the Grifl'on, the under surface of the tail 

 being black in the latter. 



With a light and graceful flight this is a very different bird in the air 

 to the same on the ground, where Mr, Dewar, I think, likens him unto a 

 recruit learning to march. 



The Neophron breeds from February to May either in cliffs, trees or 

 old ruins and lays usually two eggs, much spotted and blotched with 

 brownish red and measuring 2'6 by 1"98. 



Family FALCONID^^:. 



Subfamily GYP^TIN^O. 

 Type C. 



Genus Gypestus. 



No. 1199. Gypcstus barbatus, The Bearded Vulture or Lammergeyer. 



CTiaracteristicfi . Head feathered ; tarsi feathered to the toes ; & 



beard of rough bristles depending from the chin ; 

 size very large. 



Colouration i In adults, the whole head, neck, and the whole of 



the under-parts white, washed with varying degrees 

 of yellow or gold. 



The lores black, and the cere entirely covered by 

 the black rictal bristles, and the beard black. 



The upper portion of the back and the smaller 

 wing coverts black with narrow white shaft stripes. 



The rest of the upper plumage is a light grey, the 

 edges of the feathers much darker in some birds and 

 the dark edges disappearing with age, the shaft 

 stripe being whitish. The whole of the back and 

 vmder lining of the wing has a silvery grey appear- 

 ance, with darker stripes or lines. 



The young birds of the year have the whole head 

 and neck black and the rest of the body a deep 

 brown, with some white on the back and often at 

 the base of the tail. More ; white appears aa they 

 advance with age and a 2-year old bird frequently 

 appears altogether parti-coloured, retaining many 

 ' ■ of its young plumage feathers. 



MeasufeweHis. 



Mabits, etc.. 



Length 44 to 49'' ; tail 22" ; wing 32" ; tarsus 4" 

 expanse about 9 feet. ' 



The Lammergeyer builds in cliffs in the Hima- 

 layas, from November to March ancl lays* usually 2 

 '6ggs, soirtetitaes wittiout toatkirigs, brit' asiially 



