M VUtTURE. 



16— BENGAL— Pl. IV. 



Vultur Beiigalensis, /»irf. OrH. i. p. 3. G;«. Xi/i. i. 245. Shaic''s Zool. vn. p. 30. Tern. 



Man. Ed. 2. p. 5. 

 Vultur Percnopterus, Fem. Husselq. It. 209, Id. Eng. 194. 

 Bengal Vulture, Gen. Si/n. i. IQ. pi. 1. Id, Sup. p, 3, 



THIS is 2ift. in length; bill dark coloured; irides brown; upper 

 eye-lid fiiniislied with hairs, like eye-lashes; head and neck covered 

 with l)ro^vn down, but quite bare on the fore part from the chin to the 

 breast; round the lower part of the neck a sort of loose ruff, composed 

 of longish nariow feathers; the plumage in general dark brown; the 

 shafts of the feathers pale; quills nearly black, with the same pale 

 sliafts; on the under part of the body the feathers are paler, but do not 

 greatly differ; the crop hangs over the breast, as in some others of this 

 genus; legs strong, warted, deep bro\vn; claws black. 



This was brought from Bengal. Levaillant says, the size is equal 

 to that of a turkey, and considering it as a species, thinks it to be the 

 female, and that the male is pale dirty rufous white ; the head, beyond 

 the eyes, and throat, bare and saffion coloured; the rest of the neck 

 behind feathered, but on the fore part downy; quills nearly black. 

 The female is larger than the male, and the plumage less tinged with 

 red. This author adds, that it liequents the sterile lands of Karow and 

 Camdeboo, as also the country of Hottinqua, and other parts about 

 the Cape of Good Hope ; chiefly seen in pjiirs, except attracted by 

 nmnbers of dead or putrid j^nimals, when ten or twelve hay.e been seen 

 in a flock. They build among the rocks, and lay four eggs ; feed on 

 putind flesh, also lizjjirds, .snakes, frogs, and even excrements of beasts ; 

 are naturally tame, and not difii cult to be shot. Dr. Shaw obsenes, 

 that they are in abundance about Caho, vv^ei;e it^ji^.^, great breach of 

 police to kill them, being esteemed sacred. 



