on Vullures and Eagles. -^17 



apparently, at least without ropes and careful arrangements, 

 perfectly inaccessible from either above or below. 



According to my shikari, the Vultures breed in April ; but 

 1 think that the nest contained eggs on this occasion, the 

 18th of January, as a magnificent golden-headed bird came 

 sailing along the face of the cliff and disappeared into the 

 cave, which had evidently been used for years, the rocks 

 being much soiled by the birds and their young. 



During the summer, after the snow has melted, they 

 spread over the higher ranges, and I saw them far north, in 

 Baltistan, Astor, and nearly to Gilgit, but not in such 

 numbers as among the Outer Himalayas. Westward, I saw 

 them among the Afghan Hills, and in March 1889 there 

 were several about the cliffs overlooking Ali Musjid, in the 

 Khyber Pass. 



The Brown Vulture {Gyps indicus) and the white-backed 

 G. bengalensis were both common round Dagshai and bred 

 near that place, where on one occasion I had a great Vulture- 

 afternoon— quite an " At Home, from 3 to 5 p.m." I placed 

 a carcase on the hillside, hid near and had a close view of 

 the scene which ensued. At first only a few stray Vultures 

 were visible soaring above, some comparatively low down, 

 others tiny specks high up a2:ain<t the blue sky. As usual, 

 the Kites and Crows were the first arrivals, and by the 

 noise and commotion they made I think attracted the 

 attention of the Vultures. 



Anyhow I came to the conclusion that the carcase was 

 first discovered by the lower stratum of Vultures either by 

 sight or else by noticing the gathering together of the 

 clamoring Crows. Then other Vultures observing from the 

 manner of the discoverers that they were off to something 

 good, flocked towards them, others still higher up, still farther 

 away, followed suit, the dark specks high up in the clouds 

 descended nearer and nearer, till in a short time the carcase 

 was alive with a struggling, squabbling mass of these huge 

 birds. 



A more rare species, the Black Vulture {Otugyps calvus), 

 I found undoubtedly breeding among the Murree Hills in 



