57 



lays a single white egg ; its nest, wMch is large, is formed of 

 sticks, and is placed on trees, and, it is said, fi-equently 

 also on inaccessible cliffs ; and the nest of various other 

 bii'ds are often found on the same tree, and do not appear to 

 be in any way disturbed by the vicinity of the Vultiu-e. The 

 male of this species has been observed to perform the office of 

 incubation, which it no doubt shares with the female. The 

 Pondichery Yultiu-e is usually found in. pairs, but four or five 

 may sometimes be seen together when attracted by food. 



The irides in this species are usually of a reddish brown, 

 but in some specimens are yellow ; the cere and bare sldn 

 of the head and neck are of a deep yellowish red, and the legs 

 and feet of dull red colour. 



A tolerable representation of this Yulture is contained in 

 Temminck's "Planches Coloriees," pi. 2 ; and a figure of the 

 head and neck, on a larger scale, are given in Gray's " lUus- 

 ti-ations of Indian Zoology," pi. 15, fig. 1. 



SPECIMENS OF VULTUR CALVUS. 



No. 1. adult India Presented by A. Pritchard, Esq. 



No. 2. immature Ditto Ditto. 



VULTUR AUmCULARIS (Daudin). 



ORICOU VULTURE. 



The Oricou, or, as it is sometimes called, the Sociable 

 Vulture, is probably the largest Eaptorial bird of the Old 

 World ; its dimensions being but little less than those of the 

 Condor of South America. It is a native of the Aftican con- 

 tiaent, and is generally spread over that part of South Afi-ica 

 lying to the south of the tropic of Capricorn. It is also found 

 very generally in Abyssinia, Kordofan, Sennaar, and Upper 

 Nubia ; and inhabits, though in smaller numbers, Lower Nubia 

 and the Sahara, besides which it is occasionally found in Egypt ; 

 and appears also to occur in South-western Asia, and some- 



H 



