6 BIRDS CF INDIA. 



spread of wing is great, and they soar to vast heights in great 

 circles, often barely moving their wings for minutes together, and 

 then only for one gentle flap. When flying near the ground they 

 flap their wings more frequently, but always alternate this with a 

 sailing motion, with outspread and somewhat upturned wing, the 

 first four or five quills showing distinct, well separated from each 

 other. They breed both on high rocky cliffs, and some few on 

 trees, laying one or two eggs only. When they have young they 

 fill their capacious craws, and carry the contents to the nest, and 

 there disgoro-e it for them. 



The sternum is wide and rounded posteriorly, with two foramina, 

 and they have 15 cervical vertebrse. Blytli divides them into 

 Vulturincs and Gypince. 



Gen. VuLTUR, Lin., in part. 



Syn. yEgypius^ Sav. — Polypteryx, Hodgs. 



Tail with twelve feathers. Bill rather short, strong, deep, curv- 

 ing from the end of cere ; nostrils, round or oval ; tarsus feathered 

 from more than half of its length ; claws strong, rather acute. 

 The neck rvifF advances upwards towards the hinder part of the 

 head, and there is a transverse occipital crest of down ; otherwise 

 as in the characters of the sub-family. 



1. Vultur monachus, Lm. 



Blyth, Cat. 131 — HoRSF., Cat. 1 — V. cinereus, Gmel. — V. 



arrianus, Tem. — ^gypius niger, Sav. — PI. enl. 425 — Gould, Birds 



of Europe, pi. 2 — Gray and Hardav., 111. Ind. Zool. I., pi. 15, f. 



2 — P. cupido, Hodgson — 'Great Black Vulture' of the Himalayas. 



Great Brown Vulture. 



Descr. — Of a rich dark chocolate brown color throughout, blacker 

 on the wings, tail, and under parts ; the feathers of the nape length- 

 ened, and somewhat lanceolate, forming a dense ruff ; lores, cheeks, 

 and throat covered with dark brown hair-like feathers ; top of the 

 head covered with soft downy feathers, ending in a sort of occipital 

 ruff of a light brown colour ; hind neck below the ears nude. In 

 a younger bird the head is more denuded, and the clothing feathers 



