The Scavengers at Dhappa 



the flats a few specimens of the next commonest 

 vulture in Bengal, the long-billed vulture (Gyps 

 tenuirostris). This is a very little bigger than the 

 Bengal vulture, and is of a very dirty dun colour — 

 all vulturine plumage looks dirty, somehow — and 

 so at first sight might almost be taken for an 

 unusually fair young individual of that species. 

 But it has not only a longer bill, but a longer and 

 thinner neck, and as these are devoid of even the 

 miserable growth of down which besprinkles the 

 nakedness of Bengalensis junior, its physiognomy 

 is peculiarly gaunt and greyhound-like, and it 

 looks the very image of famine. 



Nevertheless, it appears that this miserable- 

 looking bird can afford to be dainty, for the 

 overseer of the boiling-works told us that the 

 reason why the long-billed vultures kept aloof 

 was, that they did not consider boiled beef, 

 whether of horse or ox, good enough for them, 

 but hung about till the scavengers' carts, which 

 would arrive later on with the general refuse, 

 should provide them with a more tasty meal 

 in the shape of dead dogs and rats, which could 

 be discussed in all their natural crudity and 

 flavour. The extreme length and nakedness of 

 the necks of these vultures was particularly in- 

 teresting in one way ; it enabled one to see 

 easily how a bird's neck is stowed when he is 



on the wing, supposing he does not stretch it 



231 



