55 



there are more spots spread over the whole, and so light that 

 they vanish into the gi-ound colour. The grain is coarse, and 

 the smell that which is specific to all Vultures. AU the eggs 

 were fresh. The nests were visited from morning till towards 

 noon, and several breeding bii'ds were killed, which were 

 without exception all males." 



Captain Bravo, who observed this species in the neigh- 

 bom'hood of the river Gambia, informs me that it there makes 

 a nest, the character of which quite agrees with the above de- 

 scription, but which is there always placed on the highest 

 trees, and especially on the silk cotton tree ; at other times 

 these Vultiu'es generally roost in this locality on the palm 

 trees; from thii-ty to fifty being frequently collected on a 

 single tree. 



The iris in this Vulture is dark brown, the cere and bare 

 skin on the head and neck bright violet in the adult and 

 greenish grey in the immature birds ; the legs and feet light 

 brown tinged with blueish green. 



This species is figui-ed in Temminck's " Planches 

 Coloriees," pi. 222, and the egg is represented in Baedeker's 

 work on European eggs, pi. 9, fig. 1. 



SPECIMENS OF NEOPHRON PILEATUS. 



Skeleton ... Natal (G) Mr. Ayres. 



No. 1. ? adult Cape of Good Hope (G) Mr. Parzudaki. 



No. 2- $ adult Natal (G) Mr. Ayres. 



No. 3. adult Abysoinia (G) Mr. Parzudaki 



No. 4. immature... Ditto (G) Ditto. 



No. 5. adult Western Africa (G) Ditto. 



