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GRIFFON VULTURE. 
Only one example of this grand addition to British ornithology 
has as yet occurred. A single specimen—an adult bird, in a 
perfectly wild state, was captured by a youth, the latter end 
of the year 1843, on the rocks near Cork harbour, and was 
purchased for half-a-crown for Lord Shannon, by whom, when 
it died, it was presented to the collection of the Dublin 
Zoological Society. 
This species, also, like the rest of its kindred, possesses great 
powers of flight, though it is not rapid on the wing, and often 
soars upwards, almost always spirally, until it has become 
invisible to the human eye: it descends in the same manner 
in circles. 
It builds its nest, as might be expected, on the highest and 
most inaccessible rocks, or sometimes on lofty trees, but in the 
winter it frequents more the lower and open grounds. ‘The 
structure is three or four feet in diameter. The eggs, two or 
three in number, rather larger than those of a goose, of a 
dingy white colour, sometimes marked with a few pale red 
blots. 
The length of this bird is about three feet eight inches. The 
bill is by some described. as bluish lead-colour, by others, as 
yellowish white or horn-colour; the cere, bluish black; iris, 
reddish orange. The head and neck are covered with down, 
which, as well as the ruff round the neck, and which is of 
the same material, is dull white; the eyes are margined with 
black. The upper and middle part of the breast also dull 
white, mixed with light brown, the lower part reddish yellow 
brown. The expansion of the wings eight feet. The back, 
and the wing coverts, light yellowish brown, the shafts lhght 
brown; the larger under wing coverts, dull white; lesser under 
wing coverts, light brown; primaries, dark brown; the tail 
the same colour. The legs and toes lead-colour, the former 
reticulated, the latter each with six large scales in front; the 
claws black. 
The male and female are scarcely distinguishable, except in 
size—the former being smaller than the latter; as is the case 
generally with birds of prey; why, it is extremely difficult to 
say. Some reasons which have been advanced must at once 
be pronounced unsatisfactory. 
Immature birds differ very considerably in plumage from 
those which have attained to the adult state: the former are 
much spotted all over, and the down on the head and neck is 
conspicuously marked with brown. 
