RUPPEL'S VULTURE (Gyps Ruppelt) 



This powerful bird is an inhabitant of the Western Soudan. 

 Its strong hooked beak and well-developed talons show it to be 

 a bird of prey, while the bare neck is characteristic of the group 

 of Vultures to which it belongs. In tropical countries dead animals 

 begin to putrefy very rapidly, and would constitute a serious nuis- 

 ance were there not some natural provision for their speedy removal. 

 Vultures are typical scavengers ; the bare necks of these creatures 

 are an obvious adaptation to their nauseous but useful habits. 



