BIRDS OF EGYPT. 211 



204. Neophron percnopterus (L.). Egyptian Vulture. 



Arabic " Racham." 



These birds are extremely abundant throughout Egypt and 

 Nubia, where they may be daily seen feeding in pairs or 

 flocks upon the offal round the villages, or slaking their thirst 

 on the opposite sandbanks. 



Adult. — Head, face, and throat bare, and of a bright 

 yellow colour ; wings black, with the outer web of some 

 of the primaries and most of the secondaries washed over with 

 silvery white ; remainder of the plumage creamy white, more 

 or less tinted with pale brownish yellow on the neck and 

 crop ; base of the beak yellow, apical half black ; legs flesh- 

 colour; irides crimson. 



Entire length 27 inches ; culmen 3 ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 18"5 ; tarsus 3'5. 



The immature bird is more or less brown all over, and has 

 brown irides. 



It appears that this species does not obtain its mature 

 plumage and crimson irides until the fourth year {cf. ' Nat. 

 Hist, and Archeology of the Nile Valley and Maltese Islands,' 

 by A. Leith Adams, p. 104). 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 3. 



Fam. COLUMBID^. 



205. CoLUMBA LiviA, Linn. Bock-Dove. 



This Dove is abundant throughout Egypt and Nubia, 

 inhabiting rocks and ruins, and the dove-cots in the Arab 

 villages, in a semidomesticated state. By far the greater 



p 2 



