36 



neck are of a dark lead colour in the young bird, wMch 

 subsides as its age increases (fii-st disappearing from the 

 sides of the neck), and by the time wh(>n the bird has 

 obtained the fleshy caruncles on the fore part of the head — 

 which mark the adult state, and which are not perfected tiU 

 its fourth year — the cere, together with the bare skin of the 

 head and neck, and the caruncles already referred to, have 

 assumed the rich and mingled tints of orange, crimson, purple, 

 and brown, ' to which I have previously alluded, as a dis- 

 tinguishing characteristic of this Vultm-e, The iris in this 

 species is a piu'e white in adult bii'ds, and a yellowish grey in 

 those which are immature. 



The representations which have been published of the 

 King Vulture (so far as I am acquainted with them) very in- 

 adequately pom-tray the beauty and singularity of colour- by 

 which this species is distinguished. 



Perhaps one of the best figures of the adult King Yulture 

 is still that which was published more than a hundred years 

 ago in Edwards' " Natural History of Birds," pi. 2. 



Another representation, which may be also mentioned as 

 correct, is that given in pi. 5, fig. 1, of Lesson's " Traite d' 

 Ornithologie." 



A tolerable figure of this species in change from the im- 

 mature to the adult dress is contained in Le Vaillant's 

 " Oiseaux d' Afrique," pi. 13. 



The King Vulture, in its unchanged immature plumage, 

 is figured by Spix in his " Avium Species Nova^," pi. 1. 



SPECIMENS OF GYPARCHUS PAPA. 



Skeletons adult..' Presented by Edward Fountaine, Esq. 



Sternum S adult Ditto. 



No. 1. adult Guatemala (G) Mr. Skinner. 



No. 2 immature (G) Mr. Jamrach. 



No. 3. immature in change (G) Mr. Lefevre. 



