316 VULTURIDvE. 



beyond the reach of human vision, as was shown by the observa- 

 tion of Colonel Tennant, who at Eoorkee in 1875 (S. F. iii, p. 419) 

 noticed that birds at a height of some miles often passed across 

 the field of his telescope. As Jerdon and other writers have 

 pointed out, the Vultures are dependent for the discovery of their 

 food upon their eyesight, the more distant birds being attracted 

 by seeing those nearer to the carcase flying in a manner that shows 

 them to have found out its position. The actual discovery is 

 doubtless generally made by Crows or Kites, and the Vultvires 

 obtain information from the movements of the smaller birds. 



On the ground Vultui-es are clumsy, heavy, and ungainly, as 

 foul in aspect as in smell ; but on the wing no bird has a grander 

 or more powerful flight, and none affords a better opportunity of 

 studying the position and movements of a bird when flying. 

 Amongst the rocky crags to which Vultures resort to roost and, 

 in many cases, to breed, it is often easy to stand on the edge of a 

 chff where they pass by within a few feet, and as each great bird 

 sweeps past, regulating its course by its tail, and occasionally 

 moving its head slightly as it investigates the different objects 

 that present themselves, to notice how steady and uncbangmg is 

 the position of the extended wings and flight-feathers, and to 

 observe how entirely the support of the bird is due to the resist- 

 ance of the air. 



Vultures are confined to the tropical and warm temperate regions 

 of Asia, Europe, and Africa ; their American representatives, the 

 Condors and their allies, being now placed in a distinct order by 

 most ornithologists. The family is represented in India by species 

 of all known genera except Lophogijps. By some writers Neoplir-on 

 is regarded as forming a distinct subfamily, but the difference is 

 scarcely more than generic. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Bill stout ; height of upper mandible approxi- 

 mately the same as length of cere on culmen. 

 a' . Nostril round or oval ; tail-feathers 12. 



a". No neck-wattle Vultub, p. 316. 



b". A fleshy wattle on each side of the neck. Otogyps, p. 318. 

 b'. Nostril a vertical narrow slit. 



c". Tail-feathers 14 Gyps, p. 319. 



d". Tail-feathers 12 Pseudogyps, p. 324. 



h. Bill slender ; nostril elongate, horizontal Neophkon, p. 325. 



Genus VULTUR, Linn., 1766. 



Bill short, strong, and deep, curving from the end of the cere ; 

 nostrils round or slightly curved ; head broad, covered with down, 

 which is longer on the nape; neck naked, ruff very small, 

 ascending on the back of the neck. 



A single species. 



