M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 459 



limbo albo-lanato (plerumque occultato) cincta. Collare, cum hoc 

 limbo continuum, tantum postice plumis quibusdam brevibus, laceiis 

 ornatum. Pedes et rostrum plumbei. 



Longit. 32 poll. sv. Ala 533 mill. (21^ poll.), cauda 225, tarsus 

 100. Digitus medius 100, cum ungue 130. Rostrum e fronte ho- 

 rizontaliter 57. Expansio alarum 7^ ped. 



$ (verisim. junior. Calcutta, Febr.). Similis mari sed colores 

 omnes cinerascente-sordidi, minime vero rufescenti-inquinati. Etiam 

 rhachides inferiores sordide albae. Plumse dorsi unicolores : anteriores 

 nigro-cinerascentes reliquse albse. Tota area pectoralis pure atra. 

 Ala 545 mill. Rostrum e fronte : horizontaliter 53 mill., oblique 

 ad apicem 63. Altitudo maxillae superioris 23. Tarsus 90. Digitus 

 medius cum ungue 120. Cauda 215. 



Juv. ut $ sed albedo vix ulla apparet : color omnis cinereo-fuscus, 

 sordide rufescenti-tinctus. Plumas corporis inferioris stria albida 

 paullo latiore quam rhachide, sed nulla pluma margine rufescens. 

 Dorsi pluma? immaculata?. Area pectoris fuscescente-nigra, atro-im- 

 mixta. Collare lanatum sordide album. Ala 532 mill. Cetera? di- 

 mensiones ut fcemina?. Remiges 3 et 4 aequales, reliquis longiores ; 

 cubitales posteriores attingunt apicem ala?. Cauda paullo rotundata, 

 parum excedit alas ; apice detrita, rhachidibus apice nudis spinosa. 

 Pedes reticulata Tarsi toti nudi. Rostrum simile Vulturis fulvi ; 

 non ad oculos usque fissum. Nares angusta?, paullo obliqua?. 



Obs. Cel. Temminck in enumeratione Vulturum (PI. Col. livr. 72, 

 et ibd. 89) hunc pro juniori V. indico habet, cum verisimiliter tan- 

 tum juniores V. bengalenses vidisse ei contigerit. At juniores utrius- 

 que speciei sat similes sunt. Sic etiam Ruppell hanc avem non 

 cognovit (Ann. Sc. Nat. 1830, Dec). Vultur indicus, quem tantum 

 in musa?is vidi, similior est V. fulvo, et in his a V. bengalensi differt : 

 area pectoralis colore dorsi ; collare plumis definitis, oblongis orna- 

 tum ; adultus fulvus ; pullus obscure fuscus, plumis ventris, etiamque 

 dorsi, stria media fulva, et plerumque margine fulvo notatis ; area 

 pectoralis immaculata, rufescenti-tincta. 



This Vulture occurs around Calcutta the whole year, in great 

 abundance ; everywhere, even in the town, it is found in plenty. 

 They do not strictly live in flocks, but often sit several together 

 in the same tree, and one daily sees great assemblages of them 

 around the corpses lying on the river bank, from which they de- 

 rive their principal nourishment. Vultures walk with ease, which 

 gives them a remarkable resemblance to turkeys, even when they 

 are fighting for their prey ; they appear equally stupid, and their 

 fights appear to be equally bloodless. The nights and part of 

 the days are passed in trees, where they are often seen sitting 

 motionless with half-expanded wings, most like the Greek repre- 

 sentations of winged griffins and sphinxes, which in this respect 

 are evidently modelled after Vultures. They fly remarkably well, 

 with the wings still, often to an incredible height in vast circles, 

 to search for prey, or perhaps more often for pastime and mid- 



