35 
African example; moreover the throat is quite bare in the 
Indian species, thinly clad with short white feathers in VY. Per- 
cnopterus and with short black feathers in N. Pileatus. 
The last appertains properly to the Ethiopian region (south 
of the Great Desert) the second to the southern half of the 
astern Atlantic region and the first to the Indian region ; 
other African white Rachamahs I find to have black bills and 
claws, but not any Indian; and referring to Vultur Meleagris 
of Pallas, I remark, that he describes the black billed race as a 
scarce bird in the T'auric Chersonesus (Crimea); while the 
Indian race is that figured in the collection of drawings 
presented by Mr. Hodgson to the British Museum. This bird 
appears to be the Vultur Ginginianus of Latham (Ind. orni. 
I. p. 7, and Gen. Hist. B. I. p. 27, pl. 5), founded on the 
“ Vautour de Gingi’”’ of Sonnerat (Voy. Ind. II. p. 187).” 
I think this matter requires looking into more closely. Since 
I first saw Mr. Blyth’s remarks, I have procured one adult 
Indian bird with the claws horny black (a peculiarity which he 
describes as characteristic of NM. Percnopterus) and not at all 
pale yellowish flesh colour ; also a young bird with the corneous 
portion of the bill a/most black, horny black in fact. In Colonel 
Tytler’s Museum, there are two birds, one adult, the other young, 
also with black claws, and the young with a black bill. ‘True, 
these latter are dried specimens, and the colours of these parts, 
may have faded and darkened, but I hardly ean believe that 
the claws have ever been “ pale yellowish flesh colour,” since the 
colours of these only change to a certain extent, and not from 
pale yellow to black. Observers should look closely into this 
matter, and besides noting these points of colour, &c., record 
exact and detailed measurements, weight, &e., of every specimen 
they shoot. 
Mr. Tristram, when speaking of birds mentioned in the Bible, 
remarks “The Hebrew “rdcham’ (Arabic “rakhma’) is 
translated ‘ Gier-eagle,’ but is the universal and exclusive name 
of the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron Percnopterus) throughout 
Africa and Western Asia.” 
No. 7. Gypaetus Barbatus, (Lrv.) 
Tue LAMMER GEYER oR BEARDED VULTURE. 
This species lays in December and January, and perhaps in 
the early part of February also. It breeds, in India of course, 
only in the Himalayahs. 
