22 Notice of the Himalayan Vulture Eagle, [ Jan. 



kite and Neophron percuopterus, while the Pondicherry and Indian 

 Vultures ( V. ponticerianus and V. Indicus) were feasting on a carcass 

 in the depth of the glen below. 



They select some retired and nearly inaccessible cliff or ledge of 

 rock whenever they seek to build their nests, which they commence in 

 April, and the young are ready to take wing about the end of June. 



On a comparison of Nos. 1 and 8, with the description of the muti- 

 lated bird formerly given by me it will be seen that the relative length 

 of the primary quills is as near as possible the same in all, speaking not 

 only to the accuracy of my measurements of the decaying specimen, but 

 affording a strong additional reason for separating the Himalayan from 

 the European Gypaetos, in which the first quill is represented as nearly 

 equal to the second and third, while in the present species the third 

 quill, in adult birds, uniformly exceeds the first, at the least, by three 

 inches and a half. 



Thus my own conviction is, that the relative length of the primary 

 quills, together with the black gorget on the lower part of the neck, 

 furnish two constant characters, uniformly foreign to the Bearded 

 Vulture of authors, and I have therefore ventured to offer it as a species 

 new to science, under the title of 



Gypaetos Hemachalanus. 



G. supra fusco-niger, subtiis ferrugineus ; collo obscurior, infra pal- 

 lidior; collo inferiore nigro circumcincto ; primoribus, rectricibusque 

 cinereis, marginibus nigrexentibus ; remige tertio caeteris longiore, 3J poll, 

 primum excedente. In caeteris G. Barbato similis. 



The following are correct measurements and descriptions of birds of 

 various ages. 



No. 1. Adult in full plumage. 



Length from tip of bill to end of tail, 



Breadth of expanded wings, 



Length of the bill from tip to gape, 



Basal height, 



Basal breadth at the gape, 



Point of bill falling below the under mandible, 



Tail of 12 feathers, forming a wedge. 



The two central feathers of which are in length, 



The first from the centre is 0| in. less or 



The second „ 



„ third „ 



„ fourth „ 



„ fifth or outermost 



1 



in. 



less 



or 



i4 



ins. 



less 



or 



H 



ins. 



less 



or 



"-\ 



ins. 



less 



or 



Ft. 



in. 



4 







8 



6 







4 







H 







H 







04 



1 



7 



1 



H 



1 



*i 



1 



3j 



1 



3-i 



1 









