ArriPITRRS— AQLILID.K 203 



Neophron. 



I'.ill Iodl:; and slender; forccrown, sides of head and 

 throat hare: tail wedge-shaped, 14 feathers; valuable 

 scavenger about towns and villages ; eggs white or ochreous, 

 richly blotched with dark red. 



Neophron percnopterus percnopterus (L.). Egyptian 

 Vulture. Gcr. Aasgeier ; Ital. Capovaccajo. 



^ 9 Creamy white, long occipital feathers darker, primaries 

 black. Bill dusky black, yellow at base. Cere and bare part of 

 head yellow. Legs and feet dark flesh. Iris deep red. Wing 

 475-520. Tarsus 75-85. Bill from cere 31-35 (H.). Young: 

 brown, feathers broadly tipped and margined fulvous. 



Breeds. — S. France, .Spain, Portugal, Italy, S.E. Hungary, 

 Pialkans, Greece, S. Russia to Caucasus, Egypt, N.W. Africa, 

 Canary Islands ; also S.W. Asia to India and widely in Africa. 

 Migratory in Europe. Has occurred twice in England. 



Gyps. 



Head bare or covered with down ; nostrils exposed, oval 

 and perpendicular; wings long and rounded, tail rounded, 

 14 feathers; food, carrion; soar at great altitudes; nest 

 usually in communities in cliffs ; egg one, white, rarely 

 marked red. 



Gyps fulvus fulvus (Hablizl). Griffon Vulture. Fr. 

 Vautour griffon ; (]er. (i;inscgeier ; ]/aL Grifone. 



(^ 9 adult. Above pale Ijrown, head covered with white 

 hairs, neck with a white downy ruff; undcrparts red brown. 

 Bill slate. Legs and feet light brown. Iris hazel. Cere dark 

 slate. Wing 690-750 (H.). Tarsus 90-110. Bill 68. Young: 

 more rufous, head and neck covered with white down, riifif 

 replaced by frill of long narrow feathers, reddish brown with 

 buff shafts. 



Resident. — Mediterranean liasin and Islands, north to Pyrenees, 

 N. Italy, S. Hungary, Rumania; S. Russia to Caucasus; also 

 S.W. Asia to Himalayas and in Red Sea Basin. Once occurred 

 Ireland. 



