66 



the specimens in the Norwich Museum was brought from Bissao. 

 Like the other Vultui-es, this species feeds on carrion. The 

 following entry ia the journal kept by Dr. Eichard Yierthaler 

 of his journey in Sennaar, to which allusion has already been 

 made, may serve to illustrate the voracity of this bird: — 

 "A Viiltur occipitalis, winged by me on the 5th February 

 below Eosseu-es, woidd save itself by running, and, in doing 

 so, it vomited all that it had in its crop, but swallowed it 

 again gradually when it became convinced of the impossibility 

 of escaping. A Gyps, which was winged at a later period, at 

 Kartoom, vomited whilst rvmning, and was thereupon piu'sued 

 by a Vultur occipitalis, which eagerly devoiu'ed piece after 

 piece." On another occasion. Dr. Vierthaler relates that three 

 of these Vultures having been attracted by the bodies of some 

 birds which he skinned, allowed themselves to be shot at three 

 times before they became wUling to abandon their booty. Dr. 

 Eiippell, who observed this Vultiu-e in Abyssinia, states, iii 

 his " New Wirbelthiere,'' that it "builds its nest on the top 

 of isolated high trees, where one often finds several nesta 

 together, of which, however, only one is used, so that the 

 others seem to have served the same pair before." 



The Occipital Vulture is not a gregarious species, being 

 usually seen either singly or in pairs, and there being seldom 

 more than three or foiu' to be found together, even when 

 attracted by food. Mr. Ayres states that at Natal " these birds 

 are much more rare than the other kinds of Vultmes, only 

 going in pairs, and generally coming to feed when the other 

 kinds of Vultures are not present." Mr. Bmchell, who de- 

 scribes a recently killed female specimen in his "Travels ia 

 South Afiica," gives the following particulars : — " That part of 

 the neck which was bare, together with the base of the beak, 

 were white ; the beak and feet were of a flesh colour ; the bare 

 part roimd the eyes white, and the irides of the coloui' of burnt 

 imiber." 



Monsieiu- Temminck states that, in a specimen kept in 



