NOTES ON NEOPHRON PUENOPTERUS (sAVIGNY.) 51 



NOTES ON NEOPHRON PUENOPTERUS 

 (SAVIGNY) FROM NUWARA ELIYA. 

 BY ALEXANDER WHYTE, Esq, 



(Read at General Meeting, November, 2, 1874.) 



N. Puenopterus (Sav.) $. White Scavenger Vulture — 

 General colour dirty pale brown. Plumage, apparently in 

 transition stage, from that of young to adult — much jaded,, 

 and commencing moult. The outer edge of the secondaries- 

 tawny, giving a mottled appearance to the upper parts. 



Length, 23 inches ; extent, 4 feet 7 inches ; wing 17$ 

 inches ; third quill longest ; tail 8'i inches, wedge-shaped',, 

 with webs of feathers much worn. 



Upper and anterior part of the head naked, as also one 

 part of the neck and throat — these regions, however, being 

 sparingly covered with acuminate or hair-like feathers*. 

 Naked part of the head extending well back, and with only 

 blotches of yellow, on a ground colour of pale greyish, with 

 a faint tint of flesh colour. 



BUI. — Two and-a-half inches from gape, slender, straight 

 and slightly elevated in front of the cere. Upper mandible 

 with a prominent, strongly hooked, horny tip. 



Cere. — Pale grey with yellow markings or blotches, 

 extending half the length of the bill. Nostrils longitudinal. 



Legs and feet. — Pale cenerious yellow ; tarsus, three 

 inches ; middle toe, three ; toes much united at base by 

 membrane ; claws, strong, but slightly hooked and blunt. 



Trides. — Pale brown, approaching to yellow. 



This interesting specimen — the first of this species, if net 

 the only one of the vulture family recorded from Ceylon- 

 was shot near to the Rest-house on the Nuwara Eliya Plains 

 on the 13th of March last, by Mr. F. II. Grinlinton, and the 



