Mr. J. Scully on the Ornithology of Gilgit. 415 



XXXV. — A Contribution to the Ornithology of Gilgit. 

 By John Scully. 



(Plate XIV.) 



The following notes on the birds of Gilgit are founded on a 

 collection of 1543 specimens obtained in that country during 

 a residence of nineteen months. Of this period nine months 

 were passed in Major Biddulph^s company ; and for the rest 

 of the time I was alone. 



I have endeavoured to make my remarks quite supple- 

 mentary to Major Biddulph^s interesting paper on the birds 

 of this region, published in this Journal {antea, p. 35). I 

 have restricted my observations here to the precise limits of 

 country laid down by Major Biddulph, and, as a matter of 

 convenience, have adopted his classification and numbers; 

 the species not preceded by numbers in my paper were 

 omitted in his account. This explanation renders unne- 

 cessary a reference to my friend's paper under each species. 



My specimens have been carefully compared by me in this 

 country ; and with reference to this matter I have to acknow- 

 ledge my obligations to Messrs. Seebohm and Dresser, who 

 have kindly allowed me the freest access to their fine col- 

 lections. 



1. VULTUR MONACHUS, \i\Xni. 



I never saw this Vulture in the Gilgit district. Young 

 Gyps hhnalayensis, soaring at a distance, might very easily 

 be mistaken for it. From what we know of the distribution 

 of V. monachus, however, it should certainly be found about 

 Gilgit. 



2. Gyps fulvescens, Hume. 



As already noted {antea, p. 38), Major Biddulph's 

 supposed example of this species is probably the young of 

 Gyps himalayensis ; but the specimen should be carefully 

 compared, as the true G. fulvescens is likely to occur in Gilgit 

 on passage to Turkistan, whence SevertzoflF seems to indicate 

 it under the name of Gyp)s rutilans. 



