1866.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 75 



" I have always found this bird a very rare species : the first I ever 

 saw wild, were two in the Punjab, in November, 1842. They were sitting 

 in the centre of a large field, and it was quite impossible to approach 

 them : I again fell in with another pair at Oorai near Cawnpore in 

 December, 1855 : they were feeding on the carcass of a dead bullock, 

 along with two or three Gyps Fulvus, and numbers of Gyps Benga Jensis, 

 G. Indicus and Atagyps Calvus ; the smaller vultures shewed no 

 signs of alarm at the huge appearance of the Monaclvus ; but I remarked 

 that the latter were in the centre of the group of vultures, and had 

 evidently the masterly choice of position on the carcass. I had only 

 No. 8 shot in my gun, and the nearest I could approach them was at a 

 distance of about 80 or 90 yards ; so that although I fired, it proved 

 perfectly useless. The birds scarcely seemed to feel it, for they flew 

 lazily away, and gradually ascended to a tremendous height, describing 

 circles in their ascent, till they were almost out of sight, and I saw 

 nothing more of them, or of any more till in December, 1865, at 

 Umballa, when I was driving to the City from Cantonments, and my 

 son Frank, who was sitting beside me, drew my attention to two 

 ^arge vultures, surrounded by smaller vultures, on the carcass of a 

 horse. We immediately drove up to the place, and I again saw this 

 rare bird. There were three of them ; and they allowed us to approach 

 with the Dog cart, as I had no gun with me, to within 80 yards, and 

 then flew lazily away, and describing circles, ascended to an incredible 

 height. A few days afterwards, I saw three more flying in company 

 with other vultures, but far too high for a shot. This morning, the 3rd 

 March, 1866, I had just returned from shooting, when I found a note 

 waiting for me from Dr. Scott, medical store-keeper, saying he had 

 just seen two of these birds, feeding, with other vultures, on the carcass 

 of a horse ; and described the place so well, that although I was very 

 tired, I at once started for the spot, and then I had the satisfaction of 

 again seeing three of these noble vultures, not near the carcass of the 

 horse, but at some distance from it, seated on a sand hillock along 

 with other vultures. I approached as cautiously as I could : the position 

 was a most exposed one, and I had a good opportunity for observing 

 these monsters. At first they were about ten yards apart from each 

 other, but when my presence slightly alarmed them, the largest walked 

 towards the other, and both then raised themselves to their full height ; 



