458 Red'billed Erolta. [Aug. 



head and cheeks are whitish for the most part : the ceral and gular 

 bristles, and those over the brows, pure black, as also a moustache or 

 stripe backwards from the gape : bill and talons seemingly horn-yel- 

 low ; and toes leaden-blue. 



Dimensions. 



feet. inch. 



Tip of bill to tip of tail, 3 10 



Bill, length of, 4 



Ditto basal height, If 



Ditto basal breadth, 2§ 



Expanse of wings, 7 6 



Tarsus 3$ 



Central toe, 3§ 



Ditto talon, If 



Sex unknown. 

 P. S. Since writing the above description, it has been suggested to 

 me by Dr. Campbell, that I have overlooked an account of the 

 Himalayan Vulture-Eagle, by Lieut. Hutton, in the 34th No. of the 

 Journal. Adverting to that account, I find no reason to alter my 

 own, or to retract the opinion therein stated, that the Indian Gypaetos 

 is merely a variety of the single known species, which is common to 

 Europe, Africa, and Asia. Lieut. Hutton gives his bird the same 

 length as mine nearly, or 3 feet 1 1 inches ; but he makes the 

 expanse of its wings 9 feet 6 inches. Is there not here some undue 

 allowance for shrinking in his ' old and mutilated' specimen ? The 

 wings of his bird agree very closely with mine in respect to the 

 relative size of the prime quills : but I still think that this point 

 wants ascertainment, by reference to several mature specimens in 

 known full plumage. Again, I would reiterate, that differences of 

 colour are of no importance : my bird has no dark mark across the 

 head. 



V. — Red-billed Erolia. By the same. 



[Regarding the present paper, it is our duty to bring forward the following 

 facts. In November, 1829, Mr. Hodgson sent to the Asiatic Society (presented 

 and acknowledged, in the Proceedings of January, 1830,) this description, and a 

 coloured drawing of natural size of a Wader, which he called " the red-billed 

 Erolia." It accompanied several other similar notices, which are published in 

 the second part of the 18th volume of the Asiatic Researches. But by some acci- 

 dent, the Erolia seems to have been omitted and mislaid, nor can it be found 

 among the papers handed over to ourselves, in 1831, by the late Mr. Calder, 

 who had previously conuusted the publication of the Physical Researches. The 

 bird is a great curiosity, and has been very recently made known to the public 



