1837.] Nest of the Bengal Vulture. 1 13 



thinly clad, or rather sprinkled over with a short down of an ashy 

 color. Near this tree were two others, on each of which were three 

 or four similar nests, but as they were difficult of access, I did not 

 ascertain their contents. 



Deeming the little one too young to take from the nest, I ordered 

 my servant, who had climbed the tree, to leave it there, intending to 

 take it, if not flown, on my return from Mhotv, whither I was then 

 proceeding. On the '21st of the same month I returned to the spot, 

 and finding the bird still in the nest, made a prize of it and bore it 

 away to my tent. The old vultures offered not the slightest resistance, 

 but sat stupidly watching the robbery we were committing. 



On offering the young vulture raw meat, it fed greedily, and gave 

 me reason to believe that it would be no difficult task to rear it, since 

 it proved willing enough to feed. 



I was much astonished to see the little progress it had made in 

 growth and plumage, since I discovered it, a period of thirteen days, 

 in which time most of the smaller birds would have been nearly ready 

 to leave the nest ; whilst my gluttonous friend had not even the 

 smallest symptom of a feather. The whole bird was clothed with a 

 light cinereous down, except on the neck, where it was partly bare, 

 being in patches. The lore and round the eyes naked and livid ; 

 the eyes small and irides dark ; cere and beak, black ; legs and feet 

 leaden black ; claws black. It had no power to stand on its legs, 

 owing to the great weight of the body. 



After feeding, or when hungry, it emitted a fractious peevish cry, 

 like a sleepy child. 



I placed it in a basket with some straw to keep it warm, and thus 

 took it to Neemuch. 



When about three weeks old, the pale cinereous down with which 

 it had at first been clothed, gave place to a down of a much darker 

 color, the head alone retaining its first clothing. At a month old, or 

 rather thirty- three days from the time I first discovered it, the prime 

 and secondary quills, greater wing coverts, scapulars, tail feathers, and 

 a few feathers on the upper part of the back near the neck, made their 

 appearance, but their growth was extremely slow, being very little ad- 

 vanced four or five days after. The bird was still unable to stand, for, 

 although his strength had increased, the weight and increase of bulk of 

 the body still rendered his legs of no use. Once or twice on placing 

 him on the ground, he swallowed several large stones, about the size 

 of a sparrow's egg, and these I found voided three days afterwards in 

 the basket which served him for a nest. In a week's time the prime 



