32 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
The following description is extracted from the British Museum 
Catalogue :— 
Adult male.—Above brown, all the feathers broadly margined with 
tawny rufous, except on the lower back and rump, where the 
feathers are uniform brown; entire head and neck tawny, with 
narrow brown streaks down the centres of the feathers, more distinct 
on the nape; sides of head and ear-coverts whitish, with narrow 
rufous shaft-lines; entire under surface rich tawny, deepening into 
chestnut on the abdomen and thighs, the throat and chest narrowly 
shafted with dark brown, alittle broader on the breast and decidedly 
more distinct on the thighs, where the centres to the feathers are 
also brown; under wing-coverts and axillaries rich tawny, the outer 
median ones externally, and the greater coverts brown; upper wing- 
coverts brown, edged with rufous like back, the least ones more 
broadly ; quills dark brown, the primaries externally shaded with 
silvery grey, the secondaries a little paler, especially the inner ones, 
which are light brown like the back, the primaries pure white for 
greater part of inner web, secondaries mottled and broadly barred 
with brown: upper tail-coverts brown, the external ones bright 
tawny; tail pale rufous, with white shafts, and inclining to whitish 
towards base of centre feathers, the two outer ones externally shaded 
with ashy grey, and marked near the end with an irregular spot of 
brown ; cere yellowish green; orbital ridge dusky greenish; bill 
brownish plumbeous, yellow at gape, tip black; feet grey, or pale 
lemon yellow; iris brownish yellow. ‘otal length 26 inches; culmen, 
19; wing, 17°7; tail, 10°5; tarsus, 3°75. 
Adult female.—Similar to the male, but slightly larger. Total 
length, 26 inches; culmen, 1:6; wing, 18°4; tail, 10°5; tarsus, 3-5. 
Fig. Cretzschm. in Riipp. Atlas, taf. 27. 
Sub-fam. AQUILIN A. 
28. _GYPAETUS OSSIFRAGUS. Southern Laemmergeier. 
This noble bird is locally distributed in the hilly parts of the 
colony. We have seen it often in Bain’s Kloof, near Wellington ; also 
in the high mountains round Mr. Jackson’s residence at Nel’s Port, 
near Beaufort, and at Swellendam. From this gentleman we have 
received sundry specimens, and he informs us that several pairs 
constantly breed in his neighbourhood; also that they will kill 
te 
