found in the neiyhhourhood of Simla. 543 



"We found this Vulture breeding freely, during December 

 and January, in colonies on Bur and Peepul trees [Ficiis 

 bengalensis and Ficus religiosa), close to Koti Station, on 

 the Simla-Kalka Railway, at an elevation of 3600 feet. 



We are in a position to corroborate the following 

 points ; — 



(«) These Vultures pair on trees, and while in copula 

 utter the hoarse roar noticed by Jerdon (Hume, 

 'Rough Notes/ p. 31), 



{b) Both birds sit on tlie eggs. When the mate arrives, 

 the sitting bird emits a low squeak like a young 

 one, shakes its wings, and flies off, its place in 

 the nest being immediately taken by the new 

 arrival. 



(c) We found that Hume's rule (Hume, ' Rough Notes/ 

 p. 27) that the period the egg has lain in the nest 

 can be foretold by the condition of the lining leaves 

 generally holds good — so far we have only met with 

 one exception. 



We do not remember ever having seen more than four 

 nests on a single tree, and have frequently found solitary 

 nests bel .ngiug to old birds. 



We have never found more than one egg in a nest. The 

 ])roportion of marked to unmarked eggs works out, in our 

 specimens, to about 1 to 2. Hume states that it is about 

 1 to 5. 



The eggs measure from 3 8" x 2-0" to 2-93" x 2-28", and 

 36 specimens average 3"32" X 2'53". 



In all cases the old birds were got off their nests ■withoiit 

 any difficulty, but in one instance we had to poke the parent 

 with a stick and regularly drive her oft' a hard-set egg, which 

 she was covering at the time. 



Once the nests are robbed, we found that the birds did 

 not lay in them again, but they hung about in the vicinity. 

 On two occasions we noticed that the nests which we had 

 previously robbed were pulled to bits by the old birds ; in 



