3 NEOPHRON PERCNOPTERUS. 



he intended to publish a book himself. However, in the then state of 

 my finances, I declined his price, " sept piastres fortes d'Espagne/' 

 i. e. seven dollars. I heard well of M. Favier, and that he was 

 patronized by the late much-lamented British Consul, Mr. Edward 

 Drummond-Hay. On my return to Cambridge I consulted Audubon 

 and other authorities. I found that the eggs of the Black Vulture of 

 North America (a bird not far different in size from the percnopterus) 

 are small, and marked with large irregular dashes of black and dark 

 brown towards the larger end ; that they never exceed two ; and also 

 that they are more elongated, as well as sharper at the smaller end, 

 than those of the Turkey Buzzard (Ornithological Biography, vol. ii. 

 p. 51, and vol. V. p. 346) . Hence, notwithstanding the authorities 

 quoted by Mr. Yarrell, and the figure originally given by Mr. Hewit- 

 son', I thought the egg oi \\\e percnopterus might follow the tendency 

 of other Vultures^ eggs — of the Black Vulture according to Audubon, 

 of the Turkey Buzzard according to Wilson, of the Bearded and the 

 Griffon Vultures according to Temminck — and be a coloured one. This 

 last difficulty removed, I thought there was scarcely room for doubting 

 the authenticity of M. Favier's eggs. I accordingly wrote for the two 

 most opposite varieties of them, and, by the kindness of several friends, 

 I received them safe. On opening the box, they looked so like some large 

 Hawks^ eggs, that my doubts revived, and were not dispelled until, in 

 consequence of an accidental inquiry put to me by Mr. Wilmot, that 

 gentleman furnished me with an account of what he already knew on 

 the subject ; and I was also favoured with a sight of a drawing made 

 by M. Moquin-Tandon from a specimen at Toulouse. This drawing 

 is evidently taken from an egg similar to mine, and intermediate in 

 size between them ; at one end it is somewhat pointed, at the other end 

 blunt. One of my eggs (that figured by Mr. Hewitson, and the 

 subject of this note) is inclined to be peaked at both ends ; the other, 

 taken in April 1843, which I have given to Mr. Wilmot, is considerably 

 less, and almost a perfect oval. This would come very near Wilson^s 

 description of that of Cathartes aura. 



M. Moquin-Tandon' s communication, dated " Jardin des Plantes, 

 Toulouse, Sept. 6, 1843," was as follows : — " L'annee derniere, du 

 Crau d' Aries, on decouvrit deux nids, contenant chacun deux ceufs : 

 deux furent deposes au Musee d' Avignon. Cette annee, sur le Pic de 

 St. Loup, pres de Montpellier, on a trouve un troisieme nid de cet 

 oiseau : il ne contenait qu'un oeuf." M. Favier, in a work in his hands 



1 [This figure was in plate i. of the ' Eggs of Bi-itish Birds,' 1st ed., which was 

 sub equently cancelled by the author, to be replaced, as above quoted, b}' a figure 

 of the subject of the present note. — Ed.] 



