46 
position of the colouring matter of the feathers, (I have tested 
it myself) as also into the red colouring on Neophron’s and 
kite’s eggs, but my idea is, that in both cases the iron is derived 
from the blood, and not from any ferruginous streams. Many 
birds, notably the grey goose and the common teal, very often 
have the feathers of the lower parts strongly tinged with rusty, 
and here too an oxide of iron enters into the composition of the 
colouring matter. How it gets there, is a question well worthy 
of investigation. 
The Lammergeyer, as Mr. Brookes remarks, has a habit of 
quartering the side of a hill, and working it backwards and 
forwards, as steadily and regularly as a good pointer will a 
turnip field, and these are the times when they can easily be 
shot, since if you notice carefully how they are beating, and then 
when they are away on the opposite side of the tract they are 
working, sit quietly down in some bush or beside some rock, in 
the line of their next tack, they will come past you unsuspi- 
ciously, and often within twenty yards. They are birds that, 
flying towards you, take away an incredible amount of the 
heaviest shot in their deep breasts; but once on the top of Deo 
Dhoura (Kumaon) coming to the edge of a little cliff which 
overhung two tiny Buddhist temples, on the stone (so called) 
umbrella of one of which, some twenty yards below me sat a fine 
male, I knocked him over dead with a loose charge of No. 10 
shot, as, altogether unaware of my presence, he sat (his back 
towards me) proudly overlooking the vast valley that lay 
beneath us. 
T consider that in its habits, and gait, (especially in its manner 
of walking about and holding its tail &c., when feeding on the 
ground,) this bird is more closely allied to the Neophrons than 
to any other Vulturine type. Dr. Jerdon fully concurs with 
me in this matter, and had independently noted it. I may 
remark that one of those shot by me at Simla had gorged 
itself on human ordure. 
The structure of the nest and the eggs, which, except in size, 
are, as already noticed, precisely similar to those of some types 
of the Neophrons, further confirms the close relationship of 
these two genera. 
While on the subject of affinities, I cannot help alluding to 
the strong resemblance that Gypetus externally bears to 
Attagen. This may be merely superficial, (and the weak, half- 
webbed feet of Attagen, and slender larine (?) bill would lead us 
to believe such to be the case), but still I should like to see 
skeletons of the two types compared. In their method of 
sailing, I must note, that on the only occasion on which I 
