GYPAETUS. 127 



nests of the Kestrel, the Lugger, and the Neophron, and saw the 

 old nests of the Lammergier. but no more nests of B.firox" 



Major Wardlaw Ramsay says, writing of Afghanistan : "The 

 only specimen I obtained was a nestling, still partly in down, 

 brought to me by an Afghan in July at Byan Kheyl, in the Hariab 

 valley." 



One egg, said to belong to this species, was brought in (along 

 with one of the parent birds) from Kooloo, where it was found in 

 a large loose nest in a tree on the 10th January. Two other pre- 

 cisely-similar eggs, found in a similar situation on the 1st of 

 March, were obtained (again with one of the old birds) in Bussahir. 

 They ought to be genuine, but I cannot separate them from large 

 boldly-blotched Kites' eggs. They are broad, regular ovals, quite 

 devoid of gloss ; strong compact shells, dark green when held up 

 against the light. The ground-colour is dull, slightly greenish or 

 bluish white. Two of the eggs are very boldly and densely 

 blotched, the one about the larger, the other about the lesser end, 

 with deep brownish red, which in places is almost black ; the rest 

 of the egg exhibits only a very few small spots. The third egg 

 has a few of the deeply-coloured blok-hes and spots at the small 

 end, and a number of paler reddish-brown spots, specks, and 

 blotches, scattered chiefly about the large end. 



The three eggs vary in length from 2-25 to 2'32 inches, and 

 from 1'78 to 1'8 inch. 



Subfamily AQUILINE. 



Gypaetus barbatus (Linn.) *. The Lammeryeyer. 



Gypaetus barbatus (Linn.), Jerd. B. 2nd. i, p. 13 ; Hume, Rough 

 'Draft N. $ E. no. 7. 



The Lammergeyer lays from about the 15th November to the 

 15th of March, the majority, I think, in January and February. 

 It breeds throughout the Himalayas, and the vast range of hills 

 which under various names divides the Punjab and Sindh from 

 Afghanistan and Khelat. 



The nest is commonly placed in almost inaccessible situations, 

 in the face of some bold cliff ; a ledge of rock, above which some 

 other ledge projects, is generally chosen. 



The only eyries I have been able to inspect were shapeless heaps 

 of sticks, nearly a cartload I should say, strewed on ledges of rock 

 (over a space of some 3 to 5 feet long by 2 or 3 broad), inter- 

 mingled with rags, huge feathers, and large bones, and plentifully 

 besprinkled with the droppings of the birds. 



* I follow Mr. Skarpe in placing this bird among the Eagles. ED. 



