OTOGYPS. 209 



richly and extensively blotched and clouded, in fact almost capped 

 at the large end, with reddish and purplish brown. So discoloured 

 do the eggs sometimes become before they are hatched, that I 

 have one egg, an addled one, stained throughout an almost uniform 

 earth-brown. The texture varies a good deal, but is generally 

 moderately fine; a few exhibit a slight gloss, but mostly they are 

 glos.v- 



The shell is very thick and strong, and, like that of most other 

 birds' eggs (especially those of Cranes and Game Birds), 

 often has pimply lumps and crease-like folds at the small end. 

 Held up against the light, the shell appears to be a rich i^reen. 

 The e<^s measure from 3'05 to 3'85 inches in length, and from 

 2-25 to '2'S inches in breadth ; but of sixty-eight eggs measured, 

 3-26 by 2-42 inches are the average dimensions. 



Otogyps calvus (Scop.). The Black Vulture. 



Otoirvps calvus (Scop.), Jerd. B. Inil. i, p. 7 ; Hutne, Rough Draft 

 E. no. 2. 



The Black or Indian King- Vulture breeds from the latter end 

 of January to the middle of April ; but, so far as my experience 

 goes, by far the majority lay in March. In fact, as a rule, this bird 

 hardly begins to lay until every P. benyalensis has hatched off. 



I once found a nest wirh a fresh egg in November ; but this was 

 a most exceptional case. The nest I have invariably found on trees. 

 Lt is said, Dr. Jerdon remarks, to breed on inaccessible cliffs ; but 

 at Ajmere, where, on the Taragurh hill, there are numerous suitable 

 precipices, many of which are occupied by Gyps pallescens, I found 

 a pair the only ones I met with breeding on a large peepul-tree 

 at the foot of the hill. 



Mr. R. Thompson says : " This species is very common in the 

 wilds of Central India ; 1 have not yet known it to breed in cliffs, 

 but have always found its nests placed on trees." 



Captain Feilden says : " At Bellary, in the Dekhan, where there 

 were no trees except in and about villages, the King- Vulture 

 used to build on bushes from 6 to 10 feet high, a species of cactus 

 or euphorbia, the only plant common on the dry rocks in that part 

 of the country. It appears to me that if these birds ever built on 

 rocks, it would be in so rocky and treeless a place as Bellary. I 

 remember finding a fresh egg of one of these Vultures on New 

 Year's eve." 



As far as my own personal experience goes, the nests are always 

 on large trees, commonly on the very top of peepul and banyan trees, 

 at least 30 or 40 feet from the ground. Mr. W. Blewitt, however,, 

 informs me that he obtained an egg of this bird on the 20th Feb- 

 ruary, from a large nest (constructed of acacia-twigs and lined with 

 leaves and straw), placed on the top of a keekur bush (A. ara^lca) 

 iu the Dhoona Beer, near Hansie, at a height of about 13 or 14 feet 

 only from the ground. 



VOL. III. 14 



