GRIFFON VULTURE. 5 



makes a large nest, of three or four feet in diameter, on 

 high trees, and lays two or sometimes three elongated 

 white eggs, nearly as large as those of the Goose. 



The following description is taken from a fine living 

 specimen in the Garden of the Zoological Society in the 

 Regent's Park. The heak from the curved point to the 

 cere is of a yellowish white horn colour ; the cere itself 

 bluish black ; the irides reddish orange ; the head, neck, 

 and circular ruff of dull whitish down ; the lanceolate fea- 

 thers below the circular ruff, the plumage of the upper sur- 

 face of the body and the wing-coverts, light yellowish 

 brown ; the shaft of each feather of light wood brown ; the 

 primaries and tail-feathers dark clove brown ; the lower 

 part of the neck in front, and the upper part of the breast 

 dull white, mixed with light brown ; under surface of the 

 body reddish yellow brown ; the smaller under wing-coverts 

 light brown ; the large under wing-coverts almost white ; 

 the legs and toes lead colour ; the claws black ; the anterior 

 portion of each toe covered with six large scales, the re- 

 maining portion and the legs reticulated. 



A specimen in the Museum of the Zoological Society, 

 sent by Sir Thomas Reade from Tunis, measures in its 

 whole length from the point of the beak to the end of 

 the tail-feathers three feet eight inches ; from the an- 

 terior bend of the wing to the end of the longest quill- 

 feather twenty-seven inches ; the length of the middle toe 

 and claw five inches. 



