1849.] 159 



pi. 15, which differs so entirely from M. Temminck's plate, that the latter must 

 have considered it as either the young or adult of his species. But it appears 

 that V. leuconotus, Gray, is the adult of Vultur bengalensis, Gm., and it also 

 appears that M. Temminck's plate does not represent the last named species in 

 any known stage of plumage, consequently his text and plate refer to different 

 birds. 



Col. Sykes in "Catalogue of Birds, observed in the Dukhun," Proc. Zoo. Soc, 

 London, 1832, p. 77, gives " Vultur indicus, Lath., Temm., PI. Col. 26," as an 

 abundant species, and the remark is inserted that " Col. Sykes' specimens are no 

 doubt referable to M. Temminck's species." 



Mr. H. E. Strickland, in Ann, and Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii., p. .34, presumes 

 Vultur leuconotus, Gray, to be the same as Vultur indicus, Temm. ; and in same 

 volume, p. 205, mentions Y. indicus, Scop, and Lath., and V. indicus, Temm., as 

 though he meant two species. 



Mr. E. Blyth, in <' Remarks upon the birds presented by Mr. Hodgson, to the 

 British Museum," same journal, xx., pp. 315, 387, insists that "Vultur indicus, 

 Scop, and Lath., is Gyps tenuirostris, Hodgson," so that whenever he speaks of 

 Vultur indicus, (as in same journal, xiii., p. 115,) he means, of course, Gyps 

 tenuirostris, Hodgson. 



M. C.J. Sundeval, in same journal, xviii., p. 459, speaks of V. indicus, Temm., 

 as a species similar to V. fulvus, but different from V. bengalensis, and evidently 

 is of opinion that V. indicus is distinct from either. He states, too, that he saw 

 none near Calcutta, which were yellowish-brown, and therefore " presumes that 

 the so coloured Vultur indicus, never, or rarely, occurs near Calcutta." 



Mr. J. E. Gray, in Catalogue Rap. Birds in Brit. Mus., inserts "Vultur indicus, 

 Temm.," as a synonyme for the Gyps fulvus, Gm. 



All the four specimens labelled " Vultur indicus," in the Rivoli collection, are 

 also labelled as coming from South Africa. These specimens comprise two young, 

 one male probably adult, and one female, also probably adult. The young 

 certainly bear a much greater resemblance to M. Temminck's plate than do any 

 others in the collection ; hence I am inclined to the belief, that Vultur indicus, 

 Temm., PI. Col. 26, is an African bird, and, as stated in the preceding article, 

 a distinct species. 



What " Vultur indicus, Scop, and Lath." may be, is more than I can tell from 

 the descriptions, but at any rate, I see no reason to cavil at Mr. Blyth's conclu- 

 sion ; the descriptions of both Scopoli and Latham, and especially the figure in 

 Sonnerat's Voy. India, ii., pi. 105, do appear to me, however, quite unsatisfac- 

 tory. 



3. Sarcorampkus grypjius, (Linn.) 



Naturalists and travellers seem to have decided that the male of this species is 

 the larger. If this is true, it appears to be the only instance in which such is 

 the case in the Rapacious birds, and is a singular exception to the general rule 

 that the female is the larger in this order. 



4. Cathartes aura, (Linn.) , 

 British and American naturalists consider this name as applicable to the bird 



figured by Wilson, Am. Orn. pi. 75, fig. 1, and Audubon, B. of Am. pi. 151; but 

 some continental European authors have applied it to the Cathartes jota, Molina, 

 which is understood to be the same as Vultur atratus, Bartram Travels, p. 289, 

 figured by Wilson, Am. Orn. pi. 75, fig. 2, and Audubon, B. of Am. pi. 106. 



