46 PTERYLOGRAPHY. 



1. V. indicus, Terum., PL Col. 26 (the adult Bird). Head and upper part of the neck 

 perfectly naked, without any feathers. Contour-feathers of the trunk with a few single downy 

 barbs, instead of the accessory shaft. The down-feathers are extremely soft, with very long, 

 fine, soft barbs, and scattered transverse barbules. Nevertheless, they are not umbellated 

 down-feathers, but are distinctly divided into two shafts, which are of equal length, but must be 

 regarded as main and accessory shafts. Their colour is snow-white. They clothe all the spaces, 

 and also occur among the contour-feathers. 



Neck-ruff but slightly developed, consisting of short, somewhat decomposed (serscJilisscnen) 

 feathers. The only other matters that deserve notice are, that the inferior tracts, which are very 

 broad upon the pectoral muscles, do not nearly extend to the anus ; that the lumbar tract forms 

 only one row of 6 or 7 feathers, above which a single feather stands ; and that the posterior half 

 of the spinal tract is composed of six rows of feathers, which are at first white and afterwards 

 brown. 



In the wings I found the feathers arranged as follows : Remiges thirty-six, of which ten 

 are on the hand. In folding, all the remiges of the hand pass beneath those of the arm, which 

 increase in length posteriorly, and reach as far as the longest of those of the hand. The first 

 primary is as long as the seventh ; the second and fifth are of equal length ; the third and fourth 

 the longest of all. Feathers of the lower wing-coverts in three rows ; the hinder ones, towards 

 the elbow, perceptibly longer, equal in length to the rectrices of the same part. Parapterum 

 (superius) formed of few (about 5 or 6) large feathers, which appear to be separated from the 

 axillary tract ; liypopterum large, composed of about ten flat principal feathers, which are protected 

 at the base by the same number of flat inferior covert-feathers, standing in a row before them. 

 The crural tracts form externally true breeches, as they may be termed, but internally consist 

 only of whitish down ; the tarsi with rounded scales, which also extend over the bases of the 

 toes ; beyqnd this there are scutes. Middle toe remarkably long, united with its neighbours by 

 a curved membranous fold. All the claws strong and crooked. 



Tail-feathers stiff, somewhat worn away, but still reaching beyond the folded wings ; all of 

 nearly equal length. 



2. V. yalericulatus. Head and upper part of the neck clothed with bristly feathers, the 

 lower part to the ruff stronger. Neck-ruff distinct, white, as are also the dorsal half of the spinal 

 tract, the lower wing-coverts, the lesser wing-coverts, the inside of the thighs, and all the down- 

 feathers. Contour-feathers brown, with a whitish streak along the shaft ; in general stiff, with 

 but little down, and scarcely perceptible aftershaft. The inferior tracts commence only at 

 the shoulders, and are very broad upon the pectoral muscles, where they consist of scattered 

 feathers ; they are afterwards narrow, composed of three rows of feathers, and do not reach to the 

 anus. Cervical tract strongly furcate, broad. The spinal tract commences between the arms of 

 the fork, and soon becomes broader, but consists only of short and rather isolated feathers. 

 Lumbar tract very distinct, composed of two rows of rather large feathers. 



Remiges thirty-six, ten of which are on the hand ; the first five with a very distinct cmargi- 

 nation of the inner vane, and narrowed from this to the apex ; the first as long as the seventh ; 

 the second and sixth, and the third and fifth, also equal ; the fourth somewhat larger and the 

 longest of all. 



Tail-feathers probably fourteen, but in this specimen I could only detect twelve. Oil-gland, 

 as usual in the Vultures, with a short circlet of feathers at its apex. 



