MASON AND LEFROY. 197 



contents. They had gorged on a human body. Carrion. Punjab 

 Gaz., Hissar, 20. 



Neophron ; animal and vegetable refuse or dung, also follows 

 the plough and devours worms, grubs, insects, reptiles and frogs. 



E. B. C. N. H., 145. 



1197. Neophron ginqinianus. Smaller White Scavenger Vul- 

 ture. Human ordure, not so often on dead animals and carrion. 

 Jerd. B. I. I, 12. F. I. Ill, 327. 



Occasionally on grass lands, hunting for frogs, and large crick- 

 ets. I have seen it take Brachytrypes achatinus on a grass lawn. 



FALCONID.E. 



These birds fly well and take their prey on the wing, feeding on 

 small mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and insects, a few of the lar- 

 ger kinds not disdaining carrion or garbage. Jerd. B. I. I, 19. 



Nearly all are carnivorous ; a few of the smaller species being 

 insectivorous partly or wholly, and the majority capture living prey. 



F. 1. Ill, 328. Their diet varies considerably and consists of mam- 

 mils, birds, rspbiles, fish, frogs, tortoises, crabs, molluscs and insects. 

 Ayuila, Haliastur eat carrion while the larger forms kill fawns, 

 monkeys, foxes, hares, and other creatures of considerable size. 

 Buzzards keep down rabbits and hunt rats and mice as assiduously 

 as Harriers and the Kestrel ; the latter devours quantities of insects, 

 and the so-called Honey-buzzard (Pernis) gains its name from its 

 fondness for grubs of bees and wasps. Kites work havoc among 

 poultry ; the. Golden Eagle and still more the Peregrine Falcon, 

 among moor-fowl ; the last two proving an advantage in Scotch 

 deer forests, where the noisy grouse disturb the stags, but being 

 in paril of extermination on the moor lands ; yet it is questionable 

 whether more good than harm is done by the destruction of 

 weakly game. The Osprey and Sea-Eagle eat little but fish, though 

 they are not alone in that habit. E. B. C. N. H., 148-149. Several 

 hawks are said to be very fond of Dragonflies. S. I. C. N. H., 424. 



1199. Gypavtus barbatus. Bearded Vulture ; Lammergeyer. In 

 Africa said to feed on reptiles and tortoises dropping them on 



