14 THE VULTURES. 



There are two other kinds of vultures which may 

 occasionally be seen in Bombay. One is the King- 

 Vulture (Otogyps calvus), a royal bird, not indeed 

 larger than the others, but of nobler aspect and 

 prouder character. It appears singly, or with its mate, 

 and will not consort with the herd. When it comes 

 to a carcase, the others have to stand by till it has 

 dined. There is no difficulty in recognising this 

 species by its deep black colour, relieved only by two 

 pure white patches on its thighs and by the blood- 

 red tint of its bare head and neck. It builds on some 

 solitary tree and lays a single white egg. 



Our fourth vulture is that foul bird known as 

 Pharaoh's Chicken, and by other more opprobrious 

 nicknames. Its title in science is Neophron ginginia- 

 mis. It is one of the commonest birds about Poona and 

 everywhere on the plains of the Deccan, but seldom 

 visits the coast. I have, however, seen a pair on 

 more than one occasion about the Flats. It is a 

 white bird, not much bigger than a kite, with only 

 the quill feathers of the wing black. Its bill is long 

 and thin, its naked face yellow, and its tail wedge- 

 shaped. Its neck is not bare, but clothed with long, 

 rusty-white feathers, pointing backwards. It does 

 not stand upright, like the true vultures, but carries 

 its body like a duck and steps like a recruit. 

 By these signs you may know Pharaoh's Chicken. 

 It makes its shabby nest, of sticks, rags and 

 rubbish, on trees, ledges of public buildings, or 

 anywhere, about March, and lays two white eggs, 

 more or less blotched with brown. For the first 

 year the young birds are brown all over and look 

 rather like mis-shapen kites, 



