10 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



The young bird is paler, both above and below ; the head and 

 neck are covered with whitish down, and the feathers of the ruiFare 

 longer, lanceolate, and edged with dark brown. 



The nostrils are somewhat oblique, oblong ; and the bill is 

 much elongated and slender, and the ceral portion especially is long. 

 There are six or seven scales on the outer toe ; the hind claw is 

 more curved and larger than in fulvus; the tail is of fourteen 

 feathers. 



Bonaparte erroneously gives this species as identical with 

 G. Bevgalensis. 



This Vulture is found over all India, more rarely towards the 

 south, and then chiefly near mountains. It is very abundant in 

 Burmah. It does not in general enter towns and villages like the 

 next species. It is not rare on the Neilgherries, and breeds on 

 some of the cliflfs on their northern face, also on the cliffs bound- 

 ing the valley in which are situated the celebrated caves of 

 Ajunta. 



5. Gyps Bengalensis, Gmel. 



Vultur, apud Gmelin — Sykes, Cat. 3 — Jerdon, Cat. 2 — 

 Blyth, Cat. 135 — Horsf., Cat. 7 — Gray and HaIidwick, 111. 

 Ind. Zool. I., pL 15, (young) — V. changoun, Daud — V. leuconotus, 

 Gray and Hardw., 111. Ind. Zool. I., pL 14, (adult) — Gidh. H. 

 and Mahr. — Sagun, Beng. — Wallhorya of the Yerklees — Gidigadu, 

 i. e., corpse fellow, Tel. ; sometimes also 3Iatu pudum gudu, i. e., 

 cattle-eater, Tel. — Karru, Tam. 



Common Brown Vulture or White-Backed Vulture. 



Descr. — Adult. Above cinereous black, back and rump white ; 

 beneath dark brown, the feathers centred lighter ; the short feathers 

 of the crop deep brown ; ruff whitish, the feathers short and downy ; 

 head and neck nearly bare, with a few scattered hair-like feathers. 



The young is lightish brown above, the feathers centred paler ; 

 quills, tail, and scapulars blackish brown ; beneath Hght brown, the 

 feathers broadly centred with whitish ; feathers of the ruff pale, 

 edo-ed darker, long and lanceolate ; head and neck more or less 

 clad with whitish down. 



Bill, horny, dusky on cere ; legs dusky black ; irides red brown. 



