170 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Genus PSEUDOGYPS, Sharps. 



549. PSEUDOGYPS BENGALENSIS. 

 THE INDIAN WHITE-BACKED VULTURE. 



Vultur bengalensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 245. Gyps bengalensis, Jerd. B. Ind. 

 i. p. 10; Hume, Rough Notes, i. p. 26; id. Nests and Eggs, p. 7; id. 8. F. iii. 

 p. 19 ; Bl B. Burin, p. 65. Pseudogyps bengalensis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. 

 Mus. i. p. 11 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 142 j Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 1 ; Hume, 8. F. 

 viii. p. 81 ; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 219 ; Bingham, S. F. ix. p. 142 ; Gates, S. F. x. 

 p. 177 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1881, p. 364. 



Description. Male and female. Head and neck naked,, with a few 

 brownish bristles ; a ruff at the back of the neck white,, and a patch above 

 the breast black ; back and upper tail- coverts dark brownish or black ; 

 rump white; lower plumage chocolate-brown, with fulvous-white shaft- 

 stripes ; wings and tail blackish ; the upper wing-coverts margined with 

 reddish brown ; under wing-coverts white ; inner side of the thighs covered 

 with white down. 



Iris brown ; skin of head pinkish brown ; bill dark plumbeous ; legs 

 brown ; claws black. 



Length 35 inches, tail 10, wing 23, tarsus 3*8, bill from gape 2*5. 

 The above measurements are those of a female ; the male appears to be 

 of about the same size. 



The Indian White-backed Vulture is abundant over the whole Province. 



It is found in the Indo-Burmese countries and the peninsula of 

 India, in Siam, Cochin China and the Malay peninsula nearly down to 

 Singapore. 



This species bears a superficial resemblance in coloration to the prece- 

 ding, but may be known at all ages by having twelve tail-feathers instead 

 of fourteen, which is the number G. indicus possesses. It is found 

 in large flocks feeding on carrion and frequenting the trees growing 

 near cantonments and villages. It breeds in November and December, 

 making a large nest of sticks in very high trees and laying a single egg. 

 When fresh the egg is very pale bluish white, sometimes marked with 

 reddish brown, and as incubation proceeds it becomes very soiled. These 

 Vultures breed in great numbers in some high trees near the village of 

 Kyeikpadein. 



