Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue 0/ Accipitres. 91 



In treating of the genus Neophron, Mr. Sharpe separates 

 the dark Neophron of tropical Africa from that found in more 

 southern latitudes, on the ground of its being " smaller, with 

 a longer and more attenuated bill/' The appearance of the 

 bill is certainly slightly more attenuated in the tropical 

 specimens which I have examined than in those from South 

 Africa ; but I have not found the absolute length of the bill 

 to be greater in these than in southern examples ; and as to 

 general size, the one race somewhat runs into the other, as 

 may be seen from the following measurements, taken from 

 specimens in the Norwich Museum : — 



Height of 

 Upper upper man- 

 mandible dible from 

 Wing from from edge to 

 carpal joint. Tarsua. forehead. culmen. 

 in. in. in. in. 



1. Adult, Cape colony (said 



to be?) 22 3f 2| i 



2. J,immatm-e, Natal. .. . 20 3^ 2| ■ a 



3. Adult, North-east Africa 



(said to be $ ) 22^ 3| 2f ^\ 



4. Immature, N.E.Africa.. 19^ 2f 2f | 



5. Adult, Western Africa. . 19 2| 2| i 



Should the tropical race be admitted as specifically distinct, 

 it will be unfortunate if the laws of priority compel the adop- 

 tion of the specific name of " monachus " which Mr. Sharpe 

 has assigned to it on the authority of Temminck, inasmuch 

 as the same specific name is appropriated to the so-called 

 Cinereous Vulture of more northern latitudes. 



Mr. Sharpe, in his article on the Condor, has the following 

 footnote : — '' The Condor from Chili and the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan is always a much finer bird, with more distinct and 

 larger wattles. When we know more of these birds it may 

 prove to be a distinct species, in which case it must be called 

 Sarcorhamphus magellanicus. " 



That the southern Condor is specifically distinct, seems to 

 me to be certain ; but whether it should bear the specific name 

 of magellanicus I doubt, inasmuch as Linnaeus gives Chili and 

 Peru as the habitat of his Vultur gryphus in the ' Systema 

 Naturse,' published in 1766. There appears to be no doubt 



