5 
and at Lahore, and generally, I should say, that this species is 
very nearly as common in the cold weather in the northern por- 
tion of the Punjab as even Gyps Bengalensis. 
The youngest birds, that I have seen, had the legs dingy 
yellow, and were of a dull pale brown, the wing coverts and 
scapulars centred darker, and with a sort of faint pinkish or 
ruddy tint on the upper surface, very conspicuous, when rising 
close in front of one along with young and adults of our Fulves- 
cens (No. 3 bis). I once shot one, but was unable to preserve it, 
and so can now give no exact description. 
Between this, comparatively, very light plumage and the deep 
chocolate brown, that at a short distance looks perfectly black, 
every shade of plumage is observable. 
The claws of Vultur Monachus are, on the whole, sharper than 
those of any other species of Indian Vulture and contrast in 
this respect strongly with those of our hills, and plains, represen- 
tatives of Gyps Fulvus, (No. 3 and No. 3 bis) ; as a rule too they 
are not only much sharper but considerably more powerful. 
The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in his ornithology of Palestine, 
(Ibis 1865) gives an interesting account of a “successful attack” 
on an Kyrie of this Vulture. 
“On the 27th of February, Mr. Upcher, while walking with 
me from the plain of Gennesaret to Tiberias, shot a Bonelli’s 
eagle under the cliffs overhanging the sea of Galilee. I saw a 
vulture dash from the small cave just behind him, at the report 
of the piece, but it wheeled round a corner before we had more 
than a glimpse of it._ We were unable, at the time, to climb up 
and examine the cave ; but returned in the afternoon, reinforeed 
by Messrs. Shepherd and Bartlett to lay siege to it. We easily 
mounted to a ledge about twelve feet under the cave, but no 
bird appeared ; while we were talking, a sudden rush, like the 
beating of the branches of a tree was heard, and a huge dark 
object dashed close over our heads, at a distance of not more 
than six feet. In wheeling circles it continued to return, and 
swept as near to us as prudence permitted, while Mr. Shepherd 
climbed up to the cavern and im a few seconds returned with 
one white egg, a little larger than the ordinary run of Griffon’s, 
but of exactly the same texture. It was rather soiled and 
proved to be hard set. The nest was scanty, consisting chiefly of 
large tufts of grass with the roots laid on the floor of the cave. 
I have seen eggs stated to belong to this vulture very much 
spotted and coloured with rufous, but not more so than those of 
the Griffon occasionally are, but the only other egg of the species 
I ever obtained (in Africa) was white, like this, and perceptibly 
thicker than the Griffon’s. This eyrie near Tiberias was by no 
