s 



Order I. ACCIPITRES. 



Family I. Vulturidje. 



The third Subfamily, 



VULTURIN.E, or Vultures, 



have the Bill long, strong, more elevated than broad ; the sides more or less compressed ; the base 

 covered with a Cere for nearly half the length of the bill ; and the tip suddenly hooked over the lower 

 mandible ; the Nostrils placed in the cere, with the opening oblique and exposed ; the Wings lengthened ; 

 the Tarsi covered with small scales ; and the middle Toe longer than the tarsi, while the lateral Toes are 

 much shorter. 



Vultur Linn* 



Bill large, much compressed and flattened on the sides ; the culmen elevated and much arched from 

 the cere to the tip, which is hooked and acute ; the nostrils placed in the cere, and rather ovate. Wings 

 lengthened, pointed, with the first quill short, and the third and fourth the longest. Tail moderate and 

 rounded, with the shafts of each feather strong, and projecting beyond the webs. Tarsi feathered 

 below the knee, and the rest covered with small reticulated scales. The middle Toe rather longer than 

 the tarsi, and united to the outer by a membrane at the base ; the hind toe as long as the inner one ; 

 and all covered above with strong transverse scales, and armed with slightly curved, strong, rather 

 acute claws, especially those of the inner and hind toes. 



Head covered with scattered down ; the occiput generally furnished with an elevated transverse crest 

 of closely set down ; and the neck-ruff advancing upwards towards the hinder part of the head. 



This genus comprehends a series of large birds which are peculiar to the warmer parts of the Old World. They 

 are noticed speedily collecting in troops on the body of any dead animal, although they may not have been seen near 

 the place for some time before. On such food they glut themselves until they are incapable of moving ; but they will 

 sometimes also attack living animals. Their flight is slow, but they are capable of mounting to a considerable height 

 by means of a series of circular evolutions, which serve them not only in ascending, but also in descending. Their 

 nest is slightly formed of sticks on the most inaccessible parts of the rocks, and the young are nourished by the parents 

 vomiting a portion of their own food. 



1. V. monachus Linn. Edward's Birds, pi. 290 Vultur cinereus 



Grnel. PI. enl. 425. ; Vultur arrianus Temm. ; iEgypius niger Sav. 

 Hist, de l'Egypte, Ois. t. 11. 



2. V. imperialis Temm. PI. col. 426. 



3. V. occipitalis Burch. Trav. S. Afr. ii. 329-, Riipp. Atlas, t. 22. 

 — Vultur galericulatus Temm. PL col. 13., Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afr. t. 12. 



Adopted by Linnaeus (Systema Natures) in 1756, from Mcehring who published it in 1752. Mgypius of Savigny, established in 1809, 



s coequal. 



