i8 The Oologists' Record, March i, 1922. 



SOME NOTES ON EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN VULTURES. 



By Charles B. Horsbrugh. 



To many people the word " vulture " conveys the idea da huge 

 carrion-feeding loathsome bird, unworthy of close study. Yet there 

 are many interesting details to be discovered concerning it. Those 

 who condemn these valuable scavengers are apt to ignore the useful 

 services they perform in the rapid clearance of'rotting animal flesh.. 

 It is a wise provision of Nature which permits many species of birds, 

 as well as of animals and insects, to carry out the duties of under- 

 takers, consequently mitigating the spread of noxious diseases, 

 which would undoubtedly increase were carrion and rubbish not so 

 disposed of. This fact is nowadays becoming more generally 

 recognised, and many countries have legislated for the protection 

 of such Scavengers — particularly the various species of vultures and 

 their relations — the larger and even smaller eagles and hawks. 



The examination of a vulture's nest and the possession cf an 

 egg for scientific purposes, if possible secured b}^ myself, had long 

 been one of my cherished desires, which was fulfilled during a 

 residence of over five years in South Africa. I visited many out- 

 of-the-way places in various parts of that country, where human 

 habitations are rare, and succeeded in obtaining a single egg of two 

 \'arieties of vulture. 



The Common or Kolb's Vulture {Gyps kolbi) is by no m'eans 

 scarce in South Africa and may be observed, more usually in flight, 

 any day and at an}^ season of the year, but its nest is generally built 

 in inaccessible situations such as difficult precipices, or high, very 

 thorny and often ant-haunted trees. 



The chance I had long been awaiting occurred unexpectedly 

 whilst driving over the veldt on a fine June afternoon in 1906, 

 changing from one shooting ground to another, some thirty odd 

 miles outside Potchefstroom. Three of us in a Cape cart saw at a 

 considerable distance what we at once suspected were vultures, 

 nests crowning the upper branches of some low, but fairlj-^ substan- 

 tial, mimosa trees. These latter consisted of a small group, scattered 

 about within a few yards of one another on slightly elevated ground. 

 The presence of some half-dozen vultures, circling high above the 

 trees, added certainty to our suspicions. On lessening our distance 

 a few others, perched close to their nests, were also observed. We 

 found these nests numbered about five bulky, evil smelling structures. 



