2 VULTURID/E. 



Neophron. Generic Characters. — Beak straight, slender, elongated, round- 

 ed above, encircled at the base with a naked cere, which extends more than 

 half the length of the beak: upper mandible with straight edges, hooked at 

 the tip ; under mandible blunt, and shorter than the upper. Nostrils near the 

 middle of the beak, elongated, longitudinal. Head and neck partly bare of 

 feathers. Wings long, rather pointed; the third quill-feather the longest. 

 Legs of moderate strength and length ; tarsi reticulated ; feet with four toes, 

 three before, oae behind ; anterior toes united at the base. Tail-feathers 

 fourteen. 



The British Birds in this History will be divided into 

 five principal orders, in accordance witli the views of modern 

 systematic Ornithologists, more particularly those of this 

 country. The first of these orders, the Raptores, or Birds 

 of Prey, as they are usually called, includes three families, — 

 the Vultures, the Falcons, and the Owls ; and although the 

 Vultures are more commonly confined to the warmer and 

 tropical countries of the Old and of the New World, the cap- 

 ture in Somersetshire of a well-hnown species entitles it to 

 a notice in this work. Mr. Selby states that a specimen of 

 the Egyptian Vulture, now in the possession of the Rev. 

 A. Mathew, of Kilve in Somersetshire, was shot near that 

 place in October 182.5. " When first discovered it was 

 feeding upon the carcass of a dead sheep, and had so gorged 

 itself with the carrion as to be unable or unwilling to fly to 

 any great distance at a time, and was therefore approached 

 without much difficulty and shot. Another bird, similar to 

 it in appearance, was seen at the same time upon wing at no 

 great distance, which remained in the neighbourhood a few 

 days, but could never be approached within range, and which 

 was supposed to be the mate of the one killed. The state 

 and colour of the plumage of this individual, judging fi-om 

 the descriptions of M. Temminck and other authors, indi- 

 cate a young bird probably of the first, or, at the farthest, 

 of the second year." 



Vultures are most numerous in warm countries, where a 



