4.0 
“One nest was found on the 30th March, and a boy was 
lowered down over the rock, but found that the cleft and nest of 
two years previously had been abandoned, and a new nest 
had been made in another cleft lower down, and in which was 
one young bird partially fledged. Not being prepared to 
rob the nest at that time, the nestling was left, especially as 
the old birds were near, and their movements somewhat 
hreatening. On the following morning, the lad was again 
persuaded to descend, and as the old birds were absent, he 
secured his prize. The nest was built on a ledge of rock 
within a cleft, and was composed of a thick bed of sticks, lined 
with grass, old rags, bones and what appeared to have been a 
portion of a sheet. There was nothing im the shape of food, 
except part of the wing of some large bird. 
“‘ During the present year (1869) a nest was prepared in the 
very same spot, and was finished on the 24th February; on 
the 10th of March it was visited, the old birds being at hand, 
but no eggs were found. It was visited again once after 
this and found to be deserted. Towards the end of March, 
another nest was visited, but it had been blown off the rock 
in a gale of wind. 
“The young bird captured three or four years ago, had the 
bill of a horn colour; pupil of eye black, with a broad 
hazel brown iris bordered by a narrow dull red ring; down, 
pale fulvous brown, the feathers on the shoulders and tail, 
dark black; those of the back, buff-coloured ; top of the head, 
flat and black; legs and feet dull leaden, with strong black, 
and shining sharp pointed claws. A short pointed black 
beard of bristles, depending from the angle beneath the lower 
mandible. One of the toes of the right foot had a bunch or 
tuft of feathers on it. 
This individual grew up to be a fine bird, and truly astonish- 
ing was it to see the quantity, and the great size of the bones it 
swallowed. At last when fully fledged, as I did nct want the 
bird, I gave it its liberty ; but go it would not. One night it 
would roost upon the ridge of the bungalow, another night on a 
neighbouring tree or outhouse ; then he took a fancy to a bazar 
close at hand: there he stayed the greater part of the day 
and returned home at night. Being at last driven from the 
bazar, he became a kind of highwayman, sitting upon the 
public roads, until some Goorkha sepoys at last seized him, 
and took him to Dehra. 
“Marvellous, indeed, are the stories told both by natives and 
Buropeans of the destructive habits of this bird, and both ae- 
counts, I fully believe, have scarcely a grain of truth in them ; all 
