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Show 676 MR. A. ANDERSON ON THE [Nov. 21, 2. V U L T U R CALVUS, Scop. (The Black Vulture.) The Black or Turkey Vulture of Anglo-Europeans is by no means an abundant species. It is a permanent resident, breeding on high trees, by preference on the peepul (Ficus religiosa), and laying a single white egg, which, as far as m y experience goes, is invariably unspotted. Mr. H u m e states that he "rather suspects that these birds pair in the air" *. Such may be the case ; but a pair of these Vultures in the cold season of 1867 built their nest on the very top of a gigantic tamarind tree, opposite m y house at Fyzabad, and I witnessed them "in copula" in their nest, at daybreak every morning. I have never seen more than two or three of these Vultures together ; and a carcass may attract hundreds of Gyps bengalensis and G. indicus and only one of this species. It is a late breeder as compared with the former ; and these two are the only Vultures that breed in the country to which these notes refer. 3. GYPS FULVUS, Gmel. (The Griffon Vulture.) Seen occasionally. One shot and examined had a very fine ruff. I have also seen a much larger and paler bird, which may have been the one described by Mr. H u m e as " himal ay ensis." M y notes on these birds are, I regret to say, very meagre. 4. GYPS INDICUS, Scop. (The Long-billed Vulture.) This species and the next are equally numerous. 5. GYPS BENGALENSIS, Gmel. (The White-backed Vulture.) Abundant. Builds exclusively on trees, and seems to have a decided partiality for the burgot and peepul (Ficus indica and F. religiosa). It is the earliest breeder amongst our Indian Raptores. Several eggs were collected near Futtehgurh as early as the 15th of October last year; and though I added considerably to the numbers in the following month, they were all, with one exception, without any spots. Later in the season, I got an egg almost completely capped at the small end with rich purple-red; but, unfortunately, it contained a live chick. A curious trait in the habits of this species, viz. that of breaking off green twigs with its beak for a nest-lining, does not appear to have been recorded before. 6. NEOPHRON GINGINIANUS, Lath. (The Indian Neophron.) This useful though disgusting scavenger is universally distributed, and is to be found in the middle of towns, villages, and cantonments. As a rule, they commence to build early in March, and lay generally two eggs. I have, however, frequently found only one, although ample time was allowed for the second to be laid. On several occasions, I have found one egg well incubated, while the other was quite fresh. They vary considerably in shape, size, and extent of colouring, even those from the same nest never corresponding in * Rough Notes, part i. p. 10. |
