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young and old. The former has the head and neck black, with a 

 tinge of sooty-black all over the body ; the adult has the same parts 

 rufous-white. The feathers on the legs are long and plume- like, and 

 project much backwards, particularly obvious when the bird is feed- 

 ing. There are few rapacious birds possessing greater powers of 

 flight, although generally to be seen sailing quietly and slowly along 

 the mountain-sides, flapping now and then his long wings when he 

 wishes to mount higher. If suddenly frightened, or bullied by his 

 common tormentors Govind Kites (Milvus govinda) or Indian 

 Jackdaws (Corvus splendens), he will shoot like an arrow down the 

 ravine, then rise up with an easy but very rapid flight. It is by no 

 means a shy bird, and will often pass within a few yards of one when 

 searching for food. The nest is always built among rocks and inac- 

 cessible places. On one of the lesser ranges near Simla I found its 

 nest and two young on a cliff overhanging a steep ravine ; a vast 

 collection of bones of sheep and cattle was strewed around — the re- 

 fuse of one of the European stations not many miles distant. The 

 eye of the Lammeigeier, although much smaller than might be ex- 

 pected in such a large bird, is bright and keen ; the sclerotic coat 

 red, and iris white : the former is brown in the young bird until its 

 second year. Bruce, the African traveller, mentions having killed 

 one weighing 22 lbs. ; but none I have shot weighed above 14 lbs. 

 From the tip of the bill to the extremity of the tail the largest mea- 

 sured 3 feet 1 1 inches, and between the extremities of the wings 

 9 feet. In the stomach of one killed by me on the mountains of 

 Cashmere I found several large bones, together with a hoof of an 

 Ibex. Many tales are told by the natives of the Himalayas, of the 

 boldness and strength of this species, that the ibex, young bears, 

 sheep, and goats are often carried away. The Marmots (Arctomys 

 Tibetanus et Himalayanus) constitute their favourite prey ; and 

 wherever they abound, Bearded Vultures are to be seen. Among 

 the feathers of the neck and lower parts are secreted quantities of a 

 rust-coloured powder like cinnamon. The use of this ingredient I 

 have never been enabled to discover, unless it keeps the feathers dry 

 when the bird is feeding on carrion. 



2. Gyps indicus (Scopoli). 



Indian Vulture. 



The Indian Vulture is larger than the bearded species, and is pro- 

 bably the largest of the tribe found in Hindostan. It measures gene- 

 rally about 8 1 feet between the tips of the wings ; length of body, 

 including tail, 3| feet. The largest I ever shot, apparently a fine old 

 male, was 8 feet 1 1 inches between the tips of the wings, and 4 feet 

 from the beak to the extremity of the tail; weight 19 lbs. The 

 species is common all over India, and is seen in the interior of 

 the Himalayas ; indeed it is seldom the sportsman can leave his 

 dead quarry an hour before he finds these birds devouring it. In 

 the course of a few hours I have seen the carcase of a bear de- 

 voured by these birds, assisted by Bearded Vultures and Carrion 



