MONK VULTURE. 23 



Vulture they are yellowish or whitish; and lastly, 

 the toes are yellow, whereas in the Fulvous Vulture 

 they are brown or ash-coloured*. 



The general length of this species, according to 

 Monsieur Sonnini, is three feet and a half: its 

 beak four inches, its tail one foot, and its measure 

 from wing's end to wing's end seven feet ten 

 inches. It inhabits the highest mountains of 

 Europe and Asia, and while it sleeps, withdraws 

 its neck between its shoulders, so that the head 

 appears as if cowled by the long plumes of the 

 ruff. It is said to be occasionally seen in the 

 mountainous parts of Germany, and among the 

 Alps of Swisserland. 



The Vulture described and figured by Vaillant 

 under the name of Le Chincou appears to be no 

 other than the present species, the description 

 given by that author exactly corresponding with 

 the bird represented by Edwards. 



Although I have in this article conjoined the 

 Vautour of Buffon with the V Monachus of Lin- 

 naeus,' I will by no means venture to affirm that 

 they are absolutely the same species; but that the 

 Chincou of Levaillant and the Crested Black- 

 Vulture of Edwards are the same can hardly be 

 called in question. It is singular that Monsieur 

 Sonnini, after his just observation relative to the 

 downy tuft on the head of Edwards's bird, should 



* In this particular however the Count de Button's bird differs 

 from the above described ones, in which the feet are brown or 

 ash-coloured. 



