456 Description of the [Aug. 



health, and season, in most species of the Raptorial order, to warrant 

 any nice distinction on that basis. 



EDWARns gives seven and half feet for the breadth, and three feet 

 four inches for the length of the African variety of the Gypaetos ; 

 whilst Bruce's measurements carry the size of it up to eight feet 

 four inches of breadth, and four feet seven inches of length. Mv 

 specimen of the Himalayan variety of this bird is intermediate 

 between those two statements : but I have been assured by my bro- 

 ther and others, that mine is decidedly a small individual ; and that, 

 whilst no credit is due to Heber's statement of 20 feet between the 

 wings, there can be little doubt that the Indian Gypaetos frequently 

 has ten feet expanse of wings, and probably, sometimes, even eleven. 

 The general structure and aspect of the Himalayan variety of this 

 species, by their compound character, made up of Eagle and of 

 Vulture, indicate the excellence of Storr's generic title of Gypaetos, 

 or Vulture-Eagle. The bill and head have a distinctly vulturine cast ; 

 but the wings, tail, and feet are scarcely less decidedly aquiline ; and, 

 upon the whole, the general semblance partakes more of the eagle 

 than of the vulture. 



The bill's length is to that of the head as 4 to 2^ ; its form is 

 strictly vulturine, distinguished only by somewhat superior elonga- 

 tion, and by the considerably greater compression of the anterior 

 part, or that beyond the cere ; where the ridge is almost sharpened, 

 and the sides (as nearly as may be) devoid of convexity. The cere is 

 wanting, and is replaced by a large mass of bristles, originating with 

 the lores and forehead, which bristles, being directed forwards, and 

 closely applied to the bill, entirely conceal the eerous portion of it, as 

 well as the apertures of the nares. The form and position of the nares 

 agree very well with those of Vultur Pondicerianns : that is, they are 

 opened considerably, and occupy a place much nearer the tip than the 

 o-ape of the bill : but they are less vertically cleft than in Pondice- 

 rianus, and have a more anteal aspect. They are long ovate, obliquely 

 transverse, opened forwards, and entirely hid by the bristly incumbent 

 cere coverts. 



Another and similar mass of setaceous hair, to that just spoken of, 

 protects the base of the lower mandible of the bill, being implanted 

 on its sides ; and a third tuft originates on its inferior surface, where 

 the horn ceases, in order to afford extensibility to the gullet. 



The last or gular tuft, like the ceral, is directed forwards, extend- 

 ing to the tip of the mandible, and there ending in a fork. This 

 last patch of bristles, (which gives its trivial name to the species,) is 

 freer, or less applied to the bill, than the others are. Hairs, scarcely 



