Birds of the Jhdum District. 89 



[Iris yellow ; feet dirty greenish yellow ; claws lead- 

 black ; bill dirty lead-green ; cere much darker, eyelid 

 plumbeous. 



This belongs to the ligliter race, A. b. tarayensis, of 

 Hodgson.— C. B. T.] 



Vultur monachus. The Cinereous Vulture. 



A winter visitor in small numbers^ a few being noticed, 

 on various dates from Noveml)er 17 until April 10. Tlie 

 largest number seen in one day was five. The weight of 

 a specimen shot on November 27 (sex not ascertained) 

 was 14^ lbs. 



Otogyps calvTis. The Black or King Vulture. 



Moderately common, and to be met with throughout the 

 year, although there are decidedly fewer about in summer, 

 when many probably go up to the Hill Sanatoria. They 

 breed about March, but a nestling only a day or two old. 

 was brought to me on April 15. 



Gjrps fulvus. The Griffon Vulture. 



Common and to be met with at all times of the year, 

 although it does not appear to breed in the district. This 

 is the common Vulture of the Salt Range, where numbers 

 may be seen about the sheer hill-sides. Near Sohawa there 

 is a small precipice which shows as a white patch on the 

 hill-side for many miles, due to the excreta of the Griffons, 

 which use it as a resting-place. I was informed by a native 

 officer who lives in a neighbouring village, that he could 

 remember the patch from the days of his boyhood. 



Pseudogyps bengalensis. The Indian White-backed Vulture. 



The commonest Vulture of the district ; this species may 

 be considered the Vulture of the plains, whereas the last is 

 more truly the Vulture of the Salt Range, although both 

 species of course may be met anywhere collected together 

 in numbers. I did not find any breeding-colony, but 

 Theobald (Hume's ' Nests and Eggs,^ 2nd ed. vol. iii. 

 p. 206) records the species as breeding in March near Piud 

 Dadan Khan and Katas. 



