34 



GESNERIAN VULTURE. 



the Ash'Coloured Vulture of Mr. Latham, and the 

 Petit Vautour of BufFon, (Petit Vautoiir de 

 Normge. PL Enl. 4^9.) are in reality one and 

 the same species, and constitute the male Vultiir 

 Percnopterus of Linnaeus. I am also strongly in- 

 clined to believe that the Maltese Vulture of Mr. 

 Latham, Le Vautour de Malte of Buffon (PI. Enl. 

 427:,) is no other than the female of this species*. 



On this supposition the Vultur Percnopterus 

 should seem to be a pretty general inhabitant of 

 the old continent, being found not only in many 

 of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, 

 but in various parts of Asia and Africa. It is said 

 to be particularly plentiful in Egypt, where it is 

 highly esteemed for its good services in destroying 

 various putrid substances in the neighbourhood of 

 towns and cities. Its general size, according to 

 Monsieur Levaillant, is that of a female Turkey, 

 but, like the American Vulture, it appears to vary 

 greatly in size in different countries. The male 

 bird also appears to vary in the cast of its colour, 

 which is sometimes merely white, and sometimes a 

 dirty pale-rufous white : the quills are black, but 

 the secondaries are externally of the same colour 

 with the rest of the plumage^ thus confirming part 

 of the Linnaean specific character. The female is 

 said to exceed the male in size. 



The description and figure given by Mr. Bruce 

 of the Vulture called Rachamah appear evidently 

 to relate to the present species. 



* Mr. Latham, in his second Supplement, appears to be nearly 

 of the same opinion. 



