THE 



BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



ORDER KAPTOKES. Family VULTURIDJE. 



EGYPTIAN VULTURE, Neophron Percnopterus. Of 

 the two Vultures which have been included, hoth 

 perhaps on rather slight grounds, in the number of 

 British birds, we have to include the Egyptian Vul- 

 ture in the list of Somersetshire birds, one specimen 

 having been killed in October, 1825, by the Eev. A. 

 Mathews, on the Quantock Hills, near the village of 

 Kilve. Another bird nearly similar in appearance 

 was observed at the same time, but though it re- 

 mained in the neighbourhood a few days after its 

 companion was killed, it appears to have been too 

 shy to allow itself to be approached within gun- 

 shot. 



I do not think it necessary to give a description 

 of this bird, as it has so very slight a claim to be 

 included even in the list of British birds.* 



* Since writing the above, I see another specimen has 

 been taken in England, but not in this county. See ' The 

 Zoologist' for 1808 (Second Series, p. 1456). 



B 



