THE ANGOLAN VULTURE. 
Gypohierax angolensis. 
Plate XXXVI. 
1’itE Zoological Society have, on several occasions, exhibited specimens of this rather scarce Vulture in their 
aviaries. The first examples of this bird were received in 1829, and were then quite in immature plumage. 
Their origin not having been ascertained, and the species being but very little known, they were considered 
by the late Mr. Bennett, formerly Secretary of the Society, as belonging to an undescribed species of the 
American group of Caracaras (. Polyborus ), to which, in some respects, the Angolan Vulture presents a singular 
resemblance. They were accordingly included in the second volume of “The Gardens and Menagerie of the 
Zoological Society,” under the designation of the “ Vulturine Caracara Eagle.” It was subsequently discovered 
that these birds were referable to a species long before described by the older authors as the Vultur angolensis. 
I he bird is really, however, very different in structure from the true Vultures, and is arranged by some 
systematists as constituting of itself a peculiar family of Raptorial Birds. 
Mr. Wolf’s illustration of the Angolan Vulture represents two individuals of this species, which were 
living in the Gardens, in 1852. One of them, the front figure in the plate, had not then reached maturity, as 
is evidenced by the remains of his youthful dress, mingled with the pure white colouring. The figure in the 
background represents the nearly-adult plumage, the white being rather more pure on the shoulders in aged 
specimens. 
The Angolan 1 ulture inhabits the coast-region of Western Africa, and is said by the African traveller Pel 
to resemble in its habits the Sea-Eagles ( Haliaetus) of the shores of the northern portions of both hemispheres, 
but very little is known about it in a state of nature. In captivity it presents no peculiarities to distinguish 
it from the larger Vultures and Eagles. 
