1282 The Zoologist— July, 18G8. 



the Himalayas to the South, though Jerdon says it is unknown in 

 Lower Bengal. 



The habits of this bird are disgusting ; its principal food is human 

 ordure. Though it feeds off carrion, when obtainable, its bill is not 

 able to compete with that of the true vultures, and the skin of a large 

 animal would resist its attacks for a long time. Repulsive as are the 

 habits of this bird it occupies an important place in the economy of 

 Nature, supplying scavengers amongst races having no regard for 

 sanitary arrangements. 



The " Neophron" walks well and at a considerable pace, lifting its 

 legs high and swaying the body from side to side. It may be seen 

 at all hours of the day, circling over cantonments with never-tiring 

 wing: its flight is strong and vigorous, soaring in great circles, like 

 the true vultures. The difference in colour between the adult and 

 young is very marked, the old birds being yellowish white with black 

 ends to the wings, the young having a uniform plumage of dirty 

 brown, and in an elder stage mottled brown and white. I have not 

 seen any breeding in the immature plumage. 



Jerdon says that they breed on rocky cliffs, on large buildings, and 

 occasionally on trees: here (in the neighbourhood of Secunderabad) 

 they nest entirely on rocky granite ledges. January, February and 

 March are the usual mouths for breeding in. The nest is a large 

 collection of slicks, lined with rags, hair and any soft material 

 the birds can procure. The same breeding-places are annually 

 returned to. 



Not having arrived in India till the end of March, I consider 

 myself fortunate in getting some eggs this season. On the 1st of 

 April a friend procured an egg for me : there were two in the nest, 

 one addled and the other ready to hatch. Again, on the 23rd of 

 April my friend found another nest, with a young bird and an egg so 

 nearly ready to hatch that on making a small incision in the shell 

 the youngster inside poked his head through the aperture, breaking a 

 hole the size of a sixpence. These eggs are not as highly coloured 

 as Mr. Hewitson's beautiful illustration ; their ground- work is white, 

 scattered over with rusty brown spots, thickest at the larger end ; in 

 general appearance not unlike some eggs 1 have seen of Milvus 

 regalis, but larger. 1 am told the eggs vary from white to deep red. 

 The length of the egg is two inches aud three-quarters and the height 

 two inches. 



1 have found three nesting-places since I came here, but all three 



