500 GYPSVULTUR 



Zaigan Tasso, Mongol. ; Gutincar, Tangut. 



ad. (Nepal). Differs chiefly from G. fulvus in having the shaft- 

 stripes on the lower plumage very broad and the fourth, and not the third 

 primary longest ; upper parts pale isabelline white tinged with brown, 

 and with obsolete pale shaft-stripes, the lower back whitish, the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts buff; quills and tail blackish brown, the inner 

 secondaries fulvous at the tips ; crop-patch brownish with, paler stripes ; 

 rest of under parts light brownish buff with broad whitish shaft stripes ; 

 under tail-coverts pale buff ; bill pale horny green ; cere pale brown ; 

 legs dingy greenish grey ; iris brownish yellow. Culmen 3 '7, wing 30, 

 tail 15-5, tarsus 4*6 inch. Sexes alike. The young are dark brown 

 strongly striped with whitish, and the wing and tail-feathers are nearlv 

 black. 



Hob. The Himalayas from Cabul to Bhutan, Turkestan, 

 Kan-su, Koko-nor, and Northern Tibet. 



Is essentially a mountain bird, only descending to lower 

 altitudes when compelled to do so in search of food, and in 

 its general habits it agrees closely with G. fulvus. It breeds at 

 high altitudes from late in December to early in March, con- 

 structing a platform of sticks in the most inaccessible parts of 

 the rocks, usually on the face of a cliff, and occasionally it will 

 take possession of a deserted Eagle's nest. Only a single egg is 

 deposited, which is greyish white usually blotched and stained 

 with reddish brown, and measures about 376 by 2*75. 



VULTUE, Linn., 1766. 



712. BLACK VULTURE. 



VULTUR MONACHUS. 



Valtur monachus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 122 (1766) ; Dresser, v. p. 383> 

 pi. 321 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 3 ; Blanford, F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, iii. p. 317 ; V. cinereus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1788) ; 

 Naum. i. p. 155, Taf. i. ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 2. 



Vautour arrian, French ; Pica osso, Portug. ; Buitre negro, 

 Span. ; Avvoltoio nero, Ital. ; Kuttengeicr, German ; Graff rib, 

 Dan. ; Ghernoburui Griff,. Russ. ; Kdla-gidh, Hindu. 



ad. (S. E. Europe). Head and neck covered with hair-like feathers, 

 ruff brownish ; general colour of the plumage brownish, the quills and 

 tail-feathers blackish brown ; bill dark horn ; cere pale mauve, naked 

 skin of the neck livid flesh colour ; legs and feet pearly white ; iris brown. 

 Culmen 3 -3, wing 30 '0, tail 17 '0, tarsus 4 - inch. The young bird is- 

 much darker, blackish brown in colour, wings and tail nearly black. 



