8o 
THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
This species, like the Griffon-vulture, 
has the head and neck down-covered, thus stand- 
ing in strong contrast with the PONDICIIERRV 
and Sacred Vultures of India and Africa, 
which have bare heads and necksornamented by 
loose folds or lappets of skin of a pinkish colour. 
These vultures hunt in pairs, and are very 
self-assertive, driving away all other birds from 
their prey. They build enormous nests of sticks 
in bushes and trees, thus differing from the 
vultures previously described, which generally 
nest on ledges of rock on precipitous cliffs. 
These nests are made of sticks, lined with 
straw and leaves. A single egg is laid, which 
is white with red markings. The largest 
species rivals the condor in size. 
The Egyptian Vulture, sometimes 
known as Pharaoh’s Hen, is the smallest of 
the vultures. The plumage is white; the head, 
throat, and fore part of the neck are naked 
and of a lemon-yellow colour; whilst the feet 
are pink and the eyes crimson. Not only is it a 
carrion-feeder, but it will also follow the plough, 
picking up worms and grubs. This species 
occurs in Europe, breeding in Provence and 
Savoy, the Madeiras, Cape Verde, the Canaries, 
North and South Africa, and India. On three 
occasions it has wandered to Great Britain. 
We pass now to the E.vgles, a group 
the exact limits of which it is impossible to 
define, since the forms so designated merge 
insensibly into Buzzards, Hawks, Harriers, and 
so forth. 
Eagles occur all over the world, save only 
in New Zealand. An eagle, it is interesting 
to note, is the bird of Jove, the emblem of 
St. John and Rome, and at the present day 
of the American Republic. It also plays an 
emblematic part in Germany, Austria, and 
Russia. 
Of the true eagles, perhaps the best 
known is the Golden Eagle, or Mountain- 
eagle — a British bird, breeding still, though 
in diminishing numbers, in Scotland. In 
Ireland it is fast verging on extinction, 
trap, gun, and poison having wrought its 
destruction. In times past it bred in the 
Lake District of England. It is found over 
the greater part of Europe, Northern Asia, 
India and China, and Northern Africa, and 
America as far south as Mexico. It is a 
v'ery fierce and powerful bird, attacking such 
GRIFFON-VULTURE 
One of the largest of the 'vultures 
Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] \^t arson's Green 
RUPPELL'S VULTURE 
African species^ closely allied to the griffon 
