THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 141 



A male VuUur monachus brought by us from Southern Mongoha does not 

 differ in colour from specimens shot in the Caucasus and the Altai. The 

 feathers of our specimen covering the upper portion of the tarsus reach down 

 on the outer side almost to the base of the middle toe, getting narrower by 

 degrees. 



Measurements: — 





Lengtli. 



Width. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Culmen. 



Tarsus, 





in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



<s, from Mongolia . 



. 43 



105 



33-5 



14-5 



3-4 



5-3 



6, from Tibet . . 



. 44 



102 



32 



17 



? 



p 



3. Gyps himalayensis, Hume. Griff hymalayshey. 



Gyps nivicola, Sev. Vert, i Gor. Haspr. Turk. Jev. pi. vii. 



The third species of Vulture met with by us during our expedition was 

 Gyps himalayensis^ closely allied to Gypsfulvus^ from which, however, it differs 

 by its larger size and the pure white lower wing-coverts, and, according to 

 Mr. Severtzoflf, by the constant form of the feathered neck-band, which is 

 permanent at all ages. This bird, inhabiting the Himalayas and the 

 Thian-shan, was first observed by us in the Kan-su mountains, which form 

 the northern limit of the geographical distribution of the species. Further 

 along our route we met with it at Koko-nor and Northern Tibet, but most 

 frequently in the Kan-su, where it keeps to the highest elevations. 



Only the temptation of a feast upon carrion makes it come down 

 to lower altitudes. The nest is built on the most unapproachable rocks and 

 cliffs of the Alpine region ; sometimes, but rarely, it nests on the middle 

 regions of the mountains ; and it selects similar places for its roost during the 

 night. In the first volume of my work (pp. 349—351) I gave a short 

 description of its habits, which, however, are very like those of its congeners. 



We never met with these Vultures in the Ala-shan desert, adjoining the 

 northern slope of the Kan-su mountains, but found them very numerous at 

 Koko-nor ; and after an animal was killed, an hour would not elapse without 

 tens of these Vultures being seen near the carcass. Rags or other similar 



