BIRDS OF PREY AND OWLS 



47 



This species, like the GRIFFON-VULTURE, 

 has the head and neck down-covered, thus stand- 

 ing in strong contrast with the PoNDlCHERRY 

 and SACRED VULTURES of India and Africa, 

 which have bare heads and necks ornamented by 

 loose folds or lappets of skin of a pinkish colour. 

 These vultures hunt in pairs, and are very 

 self-assertive, driving away all other birds from 

 their prey. They build enormous nests of sticks 

 in bushes and trees, thus differing from the 

 vultures previously described, which generally 

 nest on ledges of rock on precipitous cliffs. 

 These nests are made of sticks, lined with 

 straw and leaves. A single egg is laid, which 

 is white with red markings. The largest 

 species rivals the condor in size. 



The EGYPTIAN VULTURE, sometimes 

 known as PHARAOH'S HEN, is the smallest of 

 the vultures. The plumage is white ; the head, 

 throat, and fore part of the neck are naked 

 and of a lemon-yellow colour ; whilst the feet 

 are pink and the eyes crimson. Not only is it a 

 carrion-feeder, but it will also follow the plough, 

 picking up worms and grubs. This species 

 occurs in Europe, breeding in Provence and 

 Savoy, the Madeiras, Cape Verde, the Canaries, 

 North and South Africa, and India. On three 

 occasions it has wandered to Great Britain. 



We pass now to the EAGLES, a group 

 the exact limits of which it is impossible to 

 define, since the forms so designated merge 

 insensibly into Buzzards, Hawks, Harriers, and 



so forth. 



Eagles occur all over the world, save only 

 in New Zealand. An eagle, it is interesting 

 to note, is the bird of Jove, the emblem of 

 St. John and Rome, and at the present day 

 of the American Republic. It also plays an 

 emblematic part in Germany, Austria, and 



Russia. 



Of the true eagles, perhaps the best 

 known is the GOLDEN EAGLE, or MOUNTAIN- 

 EAGLE _ a British bird, breeding still, though 

 in diminishing numbers, in Scotland. In 

 Ireland it is fast verging on extinction, 

 trap, gun, and poison having wrought its 

 destruction. In times past it bred in the 

 Lake District of England. It is found over 

 the greater part of Europe, Northern Asia, 

 India and China, and Northern Africa, and 

 America as far south as Mexico. It is a 

 very fierce and powerful bird, attacking such 



fh,i, ty SMatlii Ptutt. Ct.3 Iftnm'i I 



GRIFFON-VULTURE 



One of the largest of the -vultures 



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RUPPELL'S VULTURE 



An African species, closely allied to the griffon 



