238 Accipitres. BIRDS. V ulturid.e. 
nearly naked bluish skin, and the neck with a very 
sliort down ; the latter is surrounded at its base by a 
frill or collar of long, soft feathers, which also occurs in 
many other species. Tlie cere is of a violet colour, 
and the feet greyish. The nest of this bird is built 
upon the most inaccessible rocks, where it forms a flat 
mass of sticks, three or four feet in diameter. Upon 
this platform the female deposits two, or rarely three 
eggs, which are white, with a very faint bluish tinge. 
THE TAWNY VULTURE {Gyps Fulvus)— fig. 96, page 
237 — is another European species, which is met with 
abundantly in the same situations as the preceding. It 
appears to be particularly common in Greece, Turkey, 
and the Grecian Archipelago; but we must remark that, 
according to some modern writers, the birds found in 
the eastern and western parts of Europe belong to dis- 
tinct species. To those inhabiting the Pyrenees, Spain, 
and Sardinia they give the name of Gyps occidentalism 
whilst for those found in the mountains of Europe, 
from Italy eastward, they retain that of Gyps fidvus. 
The differences betw^een the two forms are very slight, 
the principal distinctive character being derived from 
the form of the feathers on the lower surface of the 
body. These are rounded at the tip in the western 
form, and pointed in the eastern. Specimens, probably 
of the former, sometimes find their way into this coun- 
try. The general colour of the plumage in all is tawny, 
deeper on the upper parts ; the head and neck are 
covered wdth a wdiitish down ; the nostrils, as in the 
other species of the genus Gyps^ are much elongated, 
and placed perpendicularly to the length of the beak ; 
at the base of the neck there is a frill of long white 
downy plumes, wdiich gives the bird a singular aspect ; 
the beak is livid, with the tip blackisli, and its base is 
enveloped in a flesh-coloured cere. This fine bird, 
which is but little smaller than the Arabian vulture, is 
said to be a summer visitor to most of those parts of 
Europe in wdiich its occurrence is recorded, retreating 
at the approach of wdnter to the Afidcan continent, on 
which, according to Le Vaillant, it even extends its 
journies as far as the Cape of Good Hope. It feeds, 
like the rest ot its family, upon carrion ; and when a 
party of these vultures has once taken possession of the 
carcass of a large animal, they are said never to quit it 
as long as a morsel of the flesh remains, so that they 
may be seen perched in the same spot for days together. 
When fully fed, or rather crammed with food, they are 
quite incapable of flight ; and if suddenly disturbed in 
tliis happy condition, they are compelled to di.sgorge 
the greater part of their banquet before they can rise 
into the aii-. They also resort to this process for the 
purpose of feeding their young, never carrying any 
portion to the nest in their beak or talons, but throwing 
up some portion of their owm half-digested food to 
satisfy the cravings of their offspring. When a supply 
of carrion is not to be had, these vultures are said 
occasionally to attack living animals. This bird builds, 
like the preceding species, upon tlie highest rocks, and 
forms its nest in the same manner. Its eggs are two 
or three in number, of a greyish-white colour, more or 
less covered with reddish spots. 
KOLBE’S VULTURE {Gyps Kolbit), another species 
of this genus, which is very common at the Cape of 
Good Hope, is called Chasse-fiente by the French 
writers, from its habit of devouring ordure as well as 
carrion. This species also feeds upon molluscs, crabs, 
tortoises, and even bisects. 
THE BENGAL VULTURE {Gyps Bengalensis) is a 
smaller species, measuring only about two feet and a 
half in length ; its general colour is browm, with the 
head and neck pale chestnut, and the bill livid, tipped 
ivith black. It is a gregarious bird, flying and feeding., 
in flocks, and also building its nests in small societies 
among the branches of tall trees. In their habits these 
birds are very similar to the preceding species, feeding, 
like them, upon carrion, and gorging themselves into a 
state of inactivity wdienever an occasion presents itself. 
The recognition of the good service which they render 
to the public health protects them from disturbance, so 
that, like licensed scavengers, they are allowed to go 
about their dirty business without molestation. They 
consequently lose all shyness but are exceedingly 
cowardly, giving way to dogs, jackals, and even crows. 
Notwithstanding their giegarious habits, they squabble 
exceedingly when feeding ; but these quarrels go no 
further than screaming and hissing, for they seldom 
or never fight. The nest is described as consisting of 
a thick mass of branches and twigs, intermixed with 
dead leaves ; the birds appear to lay only a single egg, 
which is of large size and perfectly white. Lieutenant 
Hutton, who obtained a young vulture of this species 
from the nest, found that its progress towards maturity 
was exceedingly slow. Although it fed greedily it could 
not stand at six weeks old, and the down did not begin 
to give place to quill-feathers until it was more than a 
month old. At two months it was completely fledged. 
Lieutenant Hutton gives the following account of the 
manners of this somewhat disagreeable pet : — He says, 
“ It was so tame as to become a perfect nuisance ; for 
no sooner did it see any person than it ran towards 
them, screaming and flapping its long wdngs, with the 
head bent low, and neck draw’u in towards the bodj', 
often pecking at the feet of the person thus intercepted. 
Many are the thumps and kicks the luckless l)ird 
received from the servants, who most cordially hated 
him, as their bare feet were often assailed and cut 
with the sharp blows of his curved beak. Still, through 
good and evil, he remained wdth us, roosting at night 
sometimes on the top of my bungalow, and at others 
wandering to some of the neighbours. Often did I 
wish that he would take unto himself the wings of the 
morn and flee away; for he never entered the house 
without making it so offensive as to be scarcely bear- 
able.” 
THE PONDICHERRY VULTURE {Otogyps calvus) 
is another Indian species, greatly resembling the 
preceding in its habits. It belongs, however, to a 
different genus, distinguished by having the head and 
neclc quite bare of feathers, and by the skin of the 
former being curiously folded about the aperture of tlie 
ear. Tlie nostrils resemble those of the genus Gyps in 
their position. The plumage of the Pondicherry Vul- 
ture is of a blackish-brown colour, wdtb the wdngs black ; ' 
the head and neck are flesh-coloured ; the crop is sur- 
rounded by a longish wdiite down ; the beak is blue- 
black, wdth a yellow cere ; and tlie feet are yellowr 
