1920.] South African Aecipitres. 415 



from its habit of attacking and killing lambing-ewes and 

 lambs. So much has this been the case, that in many 

 places poison clubs have been formed to deal with the 

 Vultures. I would also like to mention an instance of the 

 extraordinary vitality shown by one of these birds, which I 

 killed while it was feeding on a dead horse. I shot it with 

 a service Lee-Metford rifle, the bullet entering the head 

 on the left side in the region of the ear and coming out 

 below the eye on the opposite side, but apparently missing 

 the brain. The bird was picked up as dead and carried to 

 camp — a distance (^f about three hundred yards, showing 

 no signs of life except for convulsive movements now and 

 again. Yet after lying on the ground for a few minutes, it 

 suddenly jumped up, ran a few yards, and then launched 

 itself into the air and flew out of sight over some hills, 

 never to be seen again. I have no notes as regards 

 plumage-changes. 



5. Gyps rueppelli (Bon.). RUppell's Vulture. 



I am of the opinion that this Vulture will have to be 

 removed from the South African list. It is a North 

 African species, which I believe has never occurred in 

 South Africa, all records of its presence having been 

 errors caused by confusing it with Pseudogyps africanus, 

 which in its juvenile plumage somewhat resembles it. 

 Therefore, I believe that on investigation it will be found 

 that all Vultures procured in South Africa and hitherto 

 identified as belonging to this species will prove to be 

 P. africanus. 



Many years ago Mr. J. H. Gurney (Senior) recorded 

 Vultures of this species as having been collected by the late 

 Thomas Ayres at Potchefstroom and in Natal ; and in this 

 connexicm I wrote to Mr. J. H. Gurney (Junior) asking 

 him to examine the specimens, if they were still in the 

 Norwich Museum. He replied, informing me that there 

 were only two South African specimens in the Museum 

 labelled G. rueppelli — one collected by Ayres at Potchef- 

 stroou), the other by Verreaux with locality " S. Africa." 



