VULTURID.E. 



states that this species inhabits the whole of Southern Africa, 

 and is infinitely more common within the tropics than else- 

 where. The Egyptian Vulture does not live in flocks, like 

 other Vultures ; although, when attracted by a carcass, eight 

 or ten may be seen assembled. At other times it is rare to 

 see more than two together. The male and female seldom 

 separate. In the districts which this species inhabits, every 

 group of the natives has a pair of these Vultures attached to 

 it. The birds roost on the trees in the vicinity, or on the 

 fences which bound the enclosures formed for their cattle. 

 They are to a certain degree domiciled and harmless. The 

 people do them no injury : on the contrary, they are rather 

 glad to see and encourage them, because they clear the pre- 

 mises of all the ofFal and filth they can find. In default of 

 other food, they eat frogs, lizards, and snakes. They make 

 their nests among rocks, and the Hottentots assured M. Le 

 Vaillant that they laid three and sometimes four eggs ; but 

 this he had no opportunity of verifying. The eggs are white. 



From North Africa this species passes over to Portugal ; 

 it is common in Spain, building on high rocks about Arragon. 

 In France it inhabits the Alps and Pyrenees. BufTon has 

 recorded its appearance, and received an adult specimen from 

 Norway ; it is not therefore at all surprising that this bird 

 should have been taken in England. The specimen of this 

 Vulture obtained from Norway was placed by BufFon in the 

 National Cabinet. Le Vaillant compared his Cape speci- 

 mens with this example received from Norway, and was con- 

 vinced they were the same species. 



Malta, with other islands of the Mediterranean Sea, are, 

 as might be expected, visited by this Vulture. Bruce, in 

 the appendix to his Travels, says it is frequent in Egypt and 

 about Cairo, where it is called by the Europeans Pharaoh's 

 Hen. In Egypt and Barbary it is also called Rachamah. 



