VULTURIDiE 



NECROSYRTES 



397 



Only two species of this genus are usually recognised — the 

 type species from north-east Africa and the South African form 

 described below. 



561. "^ Necrosyrtes pileatus. Hooded Vulture. 



Vultur pileatus, Burchrll, Travels, ii, p. 195 (1824). 



Neophron carunculatus, Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Journ. i, p. 17 (1829). 



Neophron pileatus, Gitrne]/, Ibis, 1859, p. 236 [Natal] ; id. Descrijit. Cat. 

 Rapt. B. p. 53 (1861) ; Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 4 (1867) ; Qurneij, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 137 ; id. in Andersson's B. Damaraland,]). 2{1812) ; Shaiye, 

 Cat. B. M. i, p. 18 (1874) ; id. ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 7, 794, 

 (1875-84) ; Gates, Matabeleland, p. 297 (1881) [nr. Tati] ; Shelley, Ibis, 

 1882, p. 237 [Mashonaland] ; Flech, Journ. Ornith. 1894, p. 392 [Gt. 

 Namaqualand] ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 155 (1896) ; Marshall, Ibis, 

 1900, p. 255 [Mashonaland] ; Alexander, ibid. p. 438 [Zambesi 

 Valley]. 



Fig. 138. — Necrosyrtes pileatus. x ^. 



Description. Adult. — General colour above, chocolate-brown ; 

 quills and tail black ; crown of the head, sides of the face, throat, 

 and fore neck bare ; eyelashes and bristles on the lores black ; hind 

 neck up to the occiput covered with a thick, fluffy down of a 

 whitish colour tinged with brown ; crop patch pale creamy-brown, 

 encircled on its upper and lower margins by conspicuous patches of 

 white down ; inner surface of the thighs also covered with white 

 down. 



Iris dark brown to bluish-black ; bill greenish- black, dark horn 



