6/6 MR. A. ANDERSON ON THE [Nov. 21, 



2. Vultur calvus, Scop. (The Black Vulture.) 



The Black or Turkey Vulture of Anglo-Europeans is by no means 

 an abundant species. It is a permanent resident, breeding on high 

 trees, by preference on the peepul (Ficus religiosa), and laying a 

 single white egg, which, as far as my experience goes, is invariably 

 unspotted. Mr. Hume states that he "rather suspects that these 

 birds pair in the air" *. Such may be the case ; but a pair of these 

 Vultures in the cold season of 1867 built their nest on the very top 

 of a gigantic tamarind tree, opposite my house at Fyzabad, and I 

 witnessed them " in copula " in their nest, at daybreak every morning. 



I have never seen more than two or three of these Vultures to- 

 gether ; and a carcass may attract hundreds of Gyps benyalensis and 

 G. indicus and only one of this species. It is a late breeder as 

 compared with the former ; and these two are the only Vultures that 

 breed in the country to which these notes refer. 



3. Gyps ftjlvus, Gmel. (The Griffon Vulture.) 



Seen occasionally. One shot and examined had a very fine ruff. 

 I have also seen a much larger and paler bird, which may have been 

 the one described by Mr. Hume as " himalayensis." My notes on 

 these birds are, I regret to say, very meagre. 



4. Gyps indicus, Scop. (The Long-billed Vulture.) 

 This species and the next are equally numerous. 



5. Gyps bengalensis, Gmel. (The White-backed Vulture.) 



Abundant. Builds exclusively on trees, and seems to have a 

 decided partiality for the burgot and peepul (Ficus indica and F. 

 religiosa). It is the earliest breeder amongst our Indian Raptores. 

 Several eggs were collected near Futtehgurh as early as the 15th of 

 October last year ; and though I added considerably to the numbers 

 in the following month, they were all, with one exception, without 

 any spots. Later in the season, I got an egg almost completely 

 capped at the small end with rich purple-red ; but, unfortunately, it 

 contained a live chick. 



A curious trait in the habits of this species, viz. that of breaking 

 off green twigs with its beak for a nest-lining, does not appear to 

 have been recorded before. 



6. Neophron ginginianus, Lath. (The Indian Neophron.) 



This useful though disgusting scavenger is universally distributed, 

 and is to be found in the middle of towns, villages, and cantonments. 

 As a rule, they commence to build early in March, and lay generally 

 two eggs. I have, however, frequently found only one, although 

 ample time was allowed for the second to be laid. On several 

 occasions, I have found one egg well incubated, while the other was 

 quite fresh. They vary considerably in shape, size, and extent of 

 colouring, even those from the same nest never corresponding in 

 * Rough Notes, part i. p. 10. 



