BIRDS COLLECTED AND OBSERVED AT THULL. 343 



1090, Caprimulgus monticola (Franklin.) — Franklin's Nightjar. 



Common and a permanent resident. I found it breeding plentifully ; all 

 the eggs I procured, from five nests, were laid without any depression and 

 extremely highly coloured, all being almost a brick-red, 



1092. Caprimulgus edrop.eus (Linn.)— The European Nightjar. 



Very common. They arrive about the middle of May, and almost every 

 wooded nulla contained a pair— this is the commonest nightjar here. Breed 

 freely during June and July ; I obtained 10 nests with eggs all laid under 

 a bush in a depression scraped by the bird. The eggs are all much mottled 

 and marbled with two shades of brown, a light sepia overlaying the dark mark- 

 ings and being equally numerous, I find all the nightjars lay much later 

 here than in other parts; I did not find a single egg until the beginning of June, 

 and most were found at the end of June and beginning of July, 



1168. Bubo bengalensis (Blyth.) — The Rock Horned Owl. 



Rare, I only saw one pair in June, A nearly fully fledged young one was 

 brought in for sale about the same time, 



1182. Athene bactriana (Blyth.)— Hutton's Owlet. 



Not uncommon. I saw several pairs living in holes in cliffs, shooting one 

 male. A pair was brought in for sale, but as they would not eat in confine- 

 ment, I released them. In one hole I found some broken egg shells, so know 

 they breed here about March I think. 



1192. Gyps fulvus (Gm,) — The Griffon Vulture. 



Common in the hills, I did not see any in the lowlands. On the Dargai 

 hill they were very numerous and breed on the cliffs there and the Samana 

 range. 

 1196. PsEUDOGYPS bengalensis (Gm.)— The Indian White-backed Vulture. 



Common on the plains round Thull, they were feeding on the dead trans- 

 port animals all along the road from Kohat to Thull. 



1198. Neophrom percnoptertjs (Linn.) — The Egyptian Vulture, 



This is the common scavenger vulture up here. It is found round every 

 camp and village as in other parts ; breeds in the hills on ledges of rock in 

 May, 

 1199. Gyp^tus BARBATUS (Linn.) — The Bearded Vulture or Lammergeyer. 



Very common, the birds round here grow to a very large size — a female 

 I measured was just under 7 feet across the wings and body. Breed during 

 January on inaccessible cliffs. I notice that Blanf ord remarks that it is doubt- 

 ful Avhether it attacks living prej' or not. I myself saw a pair, some years 

 ago, at Kajuri l^ach, trying to knock a young Markhov off a ledge on a deep 

 precipice. One or other bird repeatedly swooped down on the young one 

 which was protected by the females of the herd. 



1203, Aquila viNDniANA (Franklin.) — The Indian Tawny Eagle. 



Common. I saw it frequently feeding on the bodies of dead ponies and 

 camels in company with vultures. 



