MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 801 



on the outer webs with pale-yellow ; secondaries blackish, and also edged 

 on the outer webs with pale-yellow ; tertiaries dull-green. 



In the lower plumage, the feathers of the throat, breast and upper 

 portion of the abdomen are pale-grey edged with greenish-yellow ; the 

 feathers on the abdomen and vent fluffy yellow-white, thigh-coverts pale 

 fluft'y-grey, tipped with dark-green ; undertail coverts dull-green, broadly 

 edged with pale-yellow. 



Bill, light fleshy-brown, tipped with dusky ; there is a tinge of blue at the 

 base of the lower mandible. Orbital skin, very dull-blue. Iris, brown. 

 Tarsi a,n(X feet, fleshy-brown, the former have a tinge of dull blue on their 

 upper extremities. Soles of feet, very pale fleshy-brown. Claws, brown 

 horny, darker at tips. 



(ii) Bearded Vulture {G. barbatus). 



Simla, 7th May 1911. — Visited the Lammergeyer's eyrie to-day. There 

 was only one young about a month and a half or a couple of months old 

 in the nest, and we had this brought down, and subjected it to a most 

 careful examination. 



The whole of its body, almost the whole head, neck, the upper and lower 

 surfaces of the wings and tarsi were covered with down of a light brownish- 

 grey. The primaries (which were about 3" in length), secondaries, tertiaries, 

 scapulars and tail feathers (about 2-|" long), were beginning to sprout, and 

 were of a dark brownish-black colour. The back of the crown had a few 

 brownish-black feathers showing through the down, and a few feathers of 

 a pale buffy-white (much lighter than the down), and intermingled with 

 blackish ones, were sprouting up here and there from the neck. A few 

 feathers also of a buffy-white, intermingled with a few brown ones, were 

 sprouting from the chest and sides of the body. 



The bill was of a light-greenish horn colour, darker at the tips. The 

 lores and base of the upper mandible were covered with the usual black 

 bristles, abovit a quarter of an inch in length. Similar bristles and of a 

 similar length, projected from the base of the lower mandible. 



The gape was fleshy and also the mouth ; pupil of eye, black ; iris, 

 light hazel ; sclerotic membrane, blood-shot. 



The feet were of a pale leaden green ; the claws, which were long and 

 very sharp, were of a shining jet black, their undersurfaces being whitish ; 

 soles of feet, whitish. 



Feet absolutely bare, no feathers of any sort on side of mid-toes. 



In connection with the above note, it is interesting to mention that, 

 according to Gurney (Raptorial Birds in the Norwich Museum, Pt. I., 

 pp. 82-83) both adult and immature specimens of these birds occasionally 

 " present the singular peculiarity of a row of small feathers running 

 down the outside of the first joint of the middle toe." The late Captain 

 Hutton in describing (Rough Notes, p. 40) a young bird of this species 

 states that one of the toes had a bunch or tuft of feathers on it. I 

 have never yet come across this peculiarity in any of the birds that I 

 have shot from time to time, and, on referring to Hume, I find that he 

 also comments on the absence of this peculiarity in his specimens. 



P. T. L. DODSWORTH, f.z.s., m.b.o.u. 



Simla, 2nd October 1913. 



No. XVIII.— THE HABITS OF THE PAINTED SPUR-FOWL 

 ( GALLOPERDIX LUNALATA ). 



During May 1913, I had many opportunities of studying the habits of 

 the Painted Spur Fowl (Galloperdix hmalata). I have found them in the 



