VULTUR. 3 
with small hexagonal reticulations. The wings are long but rounded. The 
tail is rounded. 
In Britain they are only accidental visitors, the true geographical range 
of the genus being confined to the South Palzarctic, Ethiopian, and 
Oriental Regions. It is a remarkable fact that there are no Vultures in 
Australia. . 
Their principal food is carrion. 
Some Vultures breed in trees; but most of the species prefer the clefts 
of rocks. Their eggs vary from white to deep brownish red. 
The two species which have occurred in Britain may easily be distin- 
guished by their size, the Griffon Vulture having a length of wing from 
28 to 30 inches, whilst the wing of the Egyptian Vulture only measures 
from 18 to 20 inches. There are only sixteen species of this genus 
known, which may be arranged in six subgeneric groups. The Vultures 
of the New World belong to a perfectly distinct genus. 
