occasionally seen. It breeds in Hungary and Siebenbiirgen, and is seen during the summer in 

 large flocks with V. cinereus, collected where carrion is, but is not so common as the latter 

 species." I frequently saw Vultures in flocks on the Lower Danube, especially in Servia and 

 Bulgaria; and Mr. Farman says (Ibis, 1868, p. 408): — "Throughout the whole of Central Bul- 

 garia this is one of the commonest birds ; but, from the nature of the country, it is particularly 

 partial to the Pravidy valley, which, being in general pretty well supplied with carrion, is 

 peculiarly adapted to this species and others of kindred habits. The valley is about fifteen 

 miles in length, and varies from a quarter of a mile to a mile and a half in breadth. It is 

 surrounded on all sides by precipitous hills, some thickly wooded, others being barren and bare, 

 rising to a height of from one to six or seven hundred feet above the level of the plain, and is 

 watered by a small stream, which in the autumn is nearly dry, but at times overflows nearly the 

 entire valley, thus forming numberless stagnant pools. In some places it resembles nothing so 

 much as a deep ravine cut in the rocks, which rise perpendicularly on both sides ; and it is these 

 spots that are so much frequented by the Griffon Vulture and a variety of other birds ; and, the 

 rocks being riddled with naturally formed caves, they breed here literally in flocks." Messrs. 

 Elwes and Buckley found it numerous in Macedonia, but not so common there as in Bulgaria. 



In Southern Russia it is pretty generally distributed, being, according to Professor von 

 Nordmann, more or less common on the coasts of the Black Sea, most numerous in Bessarabia, 

 and occurs annually near Odessa, In Bessarabia flocks consisting of thirty or forty individuals 

 are often seen flying at a great altitude, on the look-out for food. 



Throughout Asia Minor the Griffon Vulture is common in suitable localities ; and Dr. Kriiper 

 informs me that a small colony breed near Smyrna. Lord Lilford met with it near Suda in 

 Crete, and in Cyprus, in which latter island it particularly affects the cliffs between Cape 

 Zephgari and Cape Gato, on the south coast. 



Canon Tristram writes (Ibis, 1865, p. 246) : — "The numbers of the Griffon- Vultures in 

 every part of Palestine are amazing ; and they are found at all seasons of the year. I do not 

 think that I ever surveyed a landscape without its being enlivened by the circling of a party of 

 Griffons. Many colonies of eyries came under our observation in the gorge of the Wady Kelt 

 (the supposed Cherith), near Jericho; in the cliffs near Heshbon, under Mount Nebo; in the 

 ravine of the Jabbok ; in a gorge near Amman, the ancient Kabbah : two large colonies inhabit 

 wadys on the north and east sides of Mount Carmel, whence we procured several eggs ; but the 

 most populous of all were the ' Griffonries ' in the stupendous cliffs of the Wady Hamam, ' the 

 robbers' caves ' to the south-west, and in the deep glen of the Wady Leimun at the north-west 

 of the plain of Gennesaret. In either of these sublime gorges, the reverberating echoes of a 

 single rifle would bring forth Griffons by the hundred from their recesses. I counted on one 

 occasion a hundred and twenty thus roused, and then gave up the reckoning in despair." 



In North-east Africa the Griffon is very common ; and, Captain Shelley writes, it is "plentifully 

 distributed throughout Egypt and Nubia. At Edfoo I met with several hundreds of them around 

 the body of a dead camel, which they were extremely unwilling to quit, and allowed my dragoman 

 to hit at them with his stick before they would take wing. Towards the end of April I observed 

 a pair in the mountains of Aboo Fayda, where they were probably breeding." Von Heuglin, who 

 treats of the Griffon of North-east Africa as being Schlegel's Vultur fulvus occidentalism says that 



