20 BEARDED VULTURE. 



and abdomen. After the first moult the colour of the 

 feathers becomes lighter, the under part of the body 

 redder, and there are spots of the same colour on the 

 mantle. The red becomes brighter after and paler 

 before each moult, and sometimes more or less white 

 when it assumes its adult plumage. It only arrives at 

 its perfect plumage at six years old, at least in captivity. 

 It is born covered with brown down from head to foot. 

 The figure of the egg of this bird is from a drawing 

 of a specimen in the British Museum. We beg to 

 thank Dr. Gray for the facilities he has afforded us in 

 obtaining drawings of those specimens of birds and eggs 

 which we required. 



I have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt 

 of a long letter from Professor Moquin-Tandon, of 

 the Faculte de Medecine de Paris, in which that dis- 

 tinguished naturalist has in the kindest terms offered 

 to assist me in the prosecution of this work. I beg 

 to assure M. Moquin-Tandon that I highly appreciate 

 the value of this offer, and the genuine spirit of phil- 

 osophical liberality with which he responded to my 

 request. 



