LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFQRNIA. BIOLOGY LIBRARY G Andre &• Sleigh, Ltd., Bushey. KITES. From a Sketch by J. WOLF. A MANUAL OF PAL^ARCTIC BIRDS BY H. E. DRESSER, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. AUTHOR OF "THE BIRDS OF EUROPE," ETC., ETC. PART II LONDON PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR AT 3 HANOVER SQUARE, W. A<\ RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, BRKAD STREET HILL, B.C., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART II PAGE GYPsfulvus(0m«Z.) .... 499 ,, himalayensis, Hume . . 499 Vultur monachus, Linn. . . . 500 Neophron percnopterus (Linn.), 501 Grypaettis barbatus (Linn.) . . 502 Circus aerugiiiosus (Linn.) . . 503 ,,' Spilonotus, Kaup . . . 504 ,, eineraceus (Montag.) . . 505 ,,' swainsoni, Smith . . . 506 cyaneus (Linn.) . . . 507 melanoleucus (Forster) . 508 Buteo vulgaris, Leach .... 509 zimmermannse, Ehmcke . 510 desertorum (Daud) . .511 leucocephalus (Hodgs.) . 511 ferox (S. G. Gmel.) . . 512 Butastur indicus ( Gmel. ) . . . 513 Archibutio lagopus (Gmel.) . . 514 ,, hemiptilopus, Blyth. 515 Hieraetus pennatus (Gould) . . 515 „ fasciatus (Vieill.) . . 516 Aquila hiaculata (Gmel.) . . . 517 „ pomarina, Brehm . . 518 ,, nipalensis, Hodgs. . . 519 ,, rapax ( Temm. ) ... 520 ,, heliaca, Savigny . . . 521- ,, adalberti, L. Brehm . . 522, ,, chrysaetus (Linn.) . . 522 Haliaetus leucoryph us (Pall.) . 523 „ albicilla (Linn.) . . 524 ,, leucocephalus (Linn.) 525 pelagicus (Pall. ) . . 526 ,, branickii, Tacz. . . 526 Circaetus gallicus (Gmel.) . . 527 Spizaetus nipalensis (Hodgs. ) . 528 Astur palumbarius (Linn. ) . . 529 ,, badius (Gmel.) .... 530 ,, ' brevipes (Severtz.) . . . 531 Accipiter nisus (Linn. ) . . . 531 „ ' virgatus(Tem??i.) . . 532 Melierax polyzonus (Rilpp.) . . 533 Milvus ictinus, Savigny ... 534 ,,' Inigrans (Bodd.) . . . 535 Milvus melanotis, Temm. and Schlegel 536 » eegyptius (Gmel.) . . . 537 Elanus cserule'us (Desf.) . . . 537 Pernis apivorus (Linn.) . . . 538 Falco gyrfalco, Linn. . . .- . 539 candicans, Gmel. . . . 540 islandus, Gmel 541 lorenzi Menzbier .... 542 altaicus (Menzbier) . . . 542 cherrug, J. E. Gray . . 543 milvipes, Hodgs. . . . 544 peregrinus, Tunstall . . 544 punicus, Levaill. junr. . 545 barbarus, Linn 546 feldeggi, Schlegel ... 546 sesalon, Tunstall . . . 547 subbuteo, Linn. . . . 548 eleonoras, Gen6 .... 549 vespertinus, Linn. . . . 550 amurensis, Radde . . . 551 tinnunculus, Linn. . . . 552 cenchris, Naum. . . . 553 Pandion haliaetus (Linn. ) . . 554 Phalacrocorax carbo (Linn.) . 555 , , filamentosus ( Temm. and Schlegel) . . 556 bicristatus Pall. . 557 perspicillatus, Pall. 557 pelagicus, Pall. . . 558 graculus (Linn.) . 558 africanus (Gmel.) . 559 pygmseus (Pall.) . 560 Sula bassana (Linn. ) . . . . 561 Pelecanus onocrotalus, Linn. . 562 ,, roseus, Gmel. . . . 563 ,, crispus, Bruch. . . 563 Ardea cinerea, Linn 564 ,, purpurea, Linn. . . . 565 ,, nielanocephala, Vig. and Childr 566 ,, alba, Linn 566 ,, intermedia, Wagl. . . 567 195344 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART II PAGE Ardea timoriensis, Cuv. . . . 568 garzetta, Linn. . . . 568 ibis, Linn ...... 569 coromanda (Bodd.) . . 570 ralloides, Scop ..... 571 grayi, Sykes ..... 572 bacchus, Bp ..... 572 Nycticorax griseus (Linn. ) . . 573 Gorsachius goisagi (Temm. ) . . 574 Ardetta javanica (Horsf.) . . 575 ,, minuta (Linn.) . . . 575 ,, sinensis (Gmel.) . . . 576 ,, cinnamomea (Gmel.) . 577 ,, eurythma, Swinh. . . 578 Botaurus stellaris (Linn. ) . . 578 „ lentiginosus (Alontag.}. 579 Ciconia alba, Bechst ..... 580 ,, boyciana, Swinh. . . 581 ,, nigra, (Linn.) .... 581 Platalea leucorodia, Linn. . . 582 ,, minor, Temm.&Schlegel. 583 Ibis aethiopica(Za#z..) . . . . 584 „ melanocephala (Loth.) . . 584 „ nippon, Temm ..... 585 ,, eremita (Linn. ) .... 586 Plegadis falcinellus (Linn.) . . 586 Phcenicopterus roseus, Pall. . 587 Anser ferus, Schaeff. . . . . 588 fabalis (Lath. ) middendorffi, Severtz. brachyrhynchus, Baill. albifrons(£co^.). . . gambeli, Hartl. .. erythropus (Linn. ) . indicus (Lath. ) . . . cygnoides (Linn.) . . Branta bernicla (Linn.) . . nigricans (Laivr.) . hutchinsi (Richardson) leucopsis (Bechst. ) . ruficollis(PaZZ.) . . Chenhyperboreus(PaZZ.) . „ canagica (Sevastanoff) . Cygnus olor (Gmel.) ... ,, musicus, Bechst. . . „ bewicki, Yarrell .. Tadorna cornuta (S. G. Gmel. ) „ casarca (Linn. ) . . 589 590 590 591 592 592 593 593 594 595 595 596 596 597 598 598 599 600 601 602 603 Anas boscas, Linn ..... 604 „ zonorhyncha, Swinh. . . 605 Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn. ). 605 Spatula clypeata (Linn.) . . . 606 Marmaronetta angustirostris (Mtnttr.) ....... 607 Eunetta falcata (Gcorgi) ... 608 Querquedula circia (Linn. ) . . 609 ,, discors (Linn.) . 610. Nettion crecca (Linn. ) . . . ,, carolinense (Gmel. ) . . ,, formosum (Georgi) . . Dafila acuta (Linn.) .... Mareca penelope (Linn. ) . . ,, americana (Gmel.) . . ^thyiarufma (Pall.) . . . . ,, ferina (Linn.) . . . ,, ma,rila,(Linn.) . . . ,, fuligula (Linn.) . . . „ nyroca (Giild.) . . . ,, bseri (Radde) .... Clangula glaucion (Linn. ) . . ,, islandica (Gmel.) . . ,, albeola (Linn. ) . . . Cosmonetta histrionica (Linn. ) . Harelda glacialis (Linn. ) . . . (Edemia f usca (Linn. ) . . . . ,, carbo(Pa«.) . . . . „ nigra (Linn.). . . . ,, americana, Swains, and Richardson .... ,, perspicillata (Linn. ) . Somateria stelleri (Pall. ) . . . ,, mollissima (Linn. ) „ v-nigrum, G. JR. Gray , , spectabilis (Linn. ) ,, fischeri (Brandt) . . Erismatura leucocephala (Scop. ) Mergus merganser, Linn. ,, serrator, Linn. . . . ,, cucullatus, Linn. . . ,, albellus, Linn. . . . Sphenocercus sieboldi (Temm.) . Columba livia, Bonn ,, intermedia, Strickl. . ,, rupestris, Bp. . . . ,, leuconota, Vig. . . ,, oenas, Linn. . . . ,, eversmanni, Bp. . . ,, laurivora, Webb and Berthelot. . . . ,, bollii, Godman . . . ,, trocaz, Heineken . . ,, palumbus, Linn. . . ,, casiotis (Bp. ) . . . , , ianthina ( Temm. ) . . Turtur communis, Sclby . . . ,, isabellinus, Bp. . . . „ ferrago (Eversm.) . . . orientalis (Lath. ) . . . decaocta (Frivaldsky) senegalensis (Linn.) . . cambayensis (Gmel. ) . . suratensis (Gmel.) . . tranquebaricus (fferm. ) . Pterocles arenarius (Pall.) , . ,, coronatus, Licht. , . PAGE 611 612 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 627 629 630 631 632 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 639 640 641 641 642 642 643 644 644 645 646 646 646 647 648 648 649 650 650 651 651 652 653 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART II PAGE Pterocles alchata (Linn. ) . . 654 ,, senegallus (Linn.) . 655 ,, exustus (Temm.) . . 656. Syrrhaptes paradoxus (Pall. ) . 657 „ tibetanus, Gould . 658 Phaeianus colchicus, Linn. . . 658 ,, talischensis, Lorenz. . 660 ,, principalis, Sclater . 660 ,, shawi, Elliot ... 660 ,, persicus, Severtz. . . 661 ,, zarafschanicus, Tar- novski 661 ,, tarimensis, Prjev. . 662 ,, chrysomelas, Severtz. 662 ,, etrauchi, Prjev. . . 663 ,, berezowskyi, Rothschild 663 „ vlangali, Prjev. . . 664 „ versicolor, Vieill. . . 664 ,, mongolicus, Brandt . 665 ,, semitorquatus, Severtz. 665 „ torquatus, Gmel. . . 665 „ hagenbecki, Rothschild 666 ,, satchuensis, Prjev. . 667 ,, scemmerringi, Temm. 667 ,, scintillans, Gould. . 667 ,, ijimae, Dresser . . . 668 Chrysolophus pictus (Linn.) . 668 „ a,mhersti&(Leadb. ) 669 Pucrasia xanthospila, Gray . . 670 ,, castanea, Gould. . . 670 ,, meyeri, Madarasz . . 671 Crossoptilum tibetanum, Hodgs. 671 ,, leucurum, Seebohm 671 ,, mantchuricum, Swinh. ... 672 ,, auritum (Pall.) . 672 ,, harmani, Elwes . 673 Lophophoms refulgens, Temm. 673 1'huysi, Verr. . . 674 Ithagenes crneutns (Hardw.) . 675 ,, sinensis, David . . 675 „ geoffroyi, Verr. . . 676 Caccabis saxatilis ( WolfJs Meyer) 677 ,, chucar (Gray) . . . 678 „ magna, Prjev. ... 678 ,, rufa(Zwrc.) . . . 679 ,, petrosa (Gmel.) . . . 679 Ammoperdix bor.hami (Fraser) . 680 Francolinus vulgaris, Steph. . . 681 ,, bicalcaratus, Linn. 682 Perdix cinerea, Lath 682 „ daurica(PaZZ.). ... 683 , , hodgsonise, Hodge. . . 684 ,, sifanica, Prjev. . . . 684 Coturnix commums,Bonnaterre 685 ,, japonica, Temm. and Schlegel 686 Tetraophasis obscurus (Verr.) . 686 PAGE Tetraophasis szechenii, Madarasz 687 Tetraogallus caucasicu8 (Pall.) . 688 „ caspius (S. 0. Gmel. ) 689 ,, hirnalayensis, Gray 690 „ tibetanus, Gould. . 690 ,, altaicus (Gebler) . 691 Lagopus albus (Gmel.) . . . 692 „ scoticus (Lath.) . . . 693 ,, mutus (Moutin.) . . 693 „ rupestris (Gmel.) . . 694 „ hyperbore\ia,Sundewall 695 Tetrao urogallus, Linn. . . . 695 ,, uralensis, Severtz. and Menzbier 696 parvirostris, Bp. . . . 697 kamtschaticus, Kiftlitz . 697 tetrix, Linn 698 mlokosiewiczi, Tacz. . 699 falcipennis, Hartl. . . 700 Tetrastesbonasia(£iw*.) . . 700 Tetrastes griseiventris, Menzbier 701 ,, severtzovi, Prjev. . . 702 Turnix sylvatica (Desfont. ) . . 703 ,, blanfordi, Blyth ... 704 Rallus aquaticus, Linn. . . . 704 „ indicus, Blyth .... 705 Porzana maruetta (Leach) . . 706 bailloni(F^«.). . . 707 pusilla (Pall.) ... 708 parva (Scop. ) . . . . 708 exquisita, Swinh. . . 709 fusca (Linn.) .... 710 paykulli (Ljungh.) . . 710 Crex pratensis, Bechst. . . . 711 Porphyrio ceeruleus ( Vandelli) . 712 , , madagascariensis (Lath.) . . -713 ,, poliocephalus (Lath.) 713 ,, alleni, T. R. ff. Thompson . . . 714 Gallinula chloropus (Linn. ) . . 715 Fulica atra, Linn 716 „ cristata, Gmel. . . . 717 Grus communis, Bechst. . . . 717 nigrieollis, Prjev. . . . 718 japonensis (P.L.S.Muller) 719 monachus, Temm. . . . 720 canadensis (Linn. ) . . . 720 collaris, Bodd 721 virgo (Linn.) 721 vipio, Pall 722 leucogeranus, Pall. . . . 723 Otis tarda, Linn 723 ,, dybowskii, Tacz. . . . 724 Tetrax eampestris, Leach . . . 725 Houbara undulata (Jacq. ) . . 726 ,, macqueenii (Gray 'and Hardw.) . . . . 727 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART II (Edicnemus scolopax^. G-, Gmd. ) Glareola pratincola (Linn.) . . ,,- orientalis, Leach . . ,, melanoptera, Nordm. . Cursorius gallicus (Gmel.) . . Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. . . ,, • •dominicus, P. L. S. • Miiller '. . . . Squatarola helvetica (Linn. ) . JEgialitis mongola (Pall. ) . . geoffroyi (JVagl.) . . • pyrrhothorax, Gould. asiatica (rail.). . . vereda (Gould) . . . oantiana (Lath. ) . . hiaticula (Linn. ) . . placida (Gray). . . semipalmata (Bp. ) . curonica (Gmel. ) . . • vocifera (Linn.) . . peeuaria ( Temm. ) . . Eudromias morinellus (Linn.) . Pluvianus segyptius (Linn.) . . Hoplopterus spinosus (Linn.) . Chettusia gregaria (Pall.) . . ,, leuoura (Licht. ) . . Lobivanellus indicus (Bodd.) . ,, cinereus (Blyth) . Vanellus vulgaris, Bechst. . . Strepsilas interpres (Linn. ) .. . Hsematopus ostralegus Linn. . ,, moquini, Bp. . . Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. . Himantopus candidus, Bonnat . Phalaropus hyperboreus (Linn.) „ * fulicarius (Linn.) . Scoldpax rusticula (Linn.) . . Rostratula capensis (Linn. ) . . Gallinago major (Gmel) . . . caelestis (Frenzel) . . stenura (Kuhl.) . . megala, Swinh. . . australis (Lath.) . . , gallinula (Linn.) . Limicola platyrhyncha (Tcmm.) ,, sibirica, Dresser . . Tringa maculate, Vieill. . . . acuminate (Horsf.) . . bairdi {Coues) .... fusoicollis, Vieill. . . alpina, Linn americana (0. L. Brehm) minuta, Leisl ruficollis, Pall. . . . subminuta, Middendorff . minutilla, Vieill. . . temmincki, Leisl. . . PA-OE 727 728 729 730 730 731 732 733 734 735 735 736 736 737 738 739 • 740 • 740 741 742 743 744 745 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 761 762 762 763 763 764 765 766 767 767 768 769 770 770 771 772 772 773 Tringa subarquata (Giild.) . . camitus, Linn. . . . crassirostris, Temm. and Schlegel striata, Linn couesi (Ridgway) . . . occidentalis (Lawr.) . . Calidris arenaria (£m?i.) . . . Eurynorhynchus pygmseus (Linn.) Machetes pugnax (Linn. ) . . Tringitee rufescens ( Vieill. ) . Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). Totanus calidris (Linn.) . . . fuscus (Linn.) . . . glottis (Linn.) ... guttifer, Nordm. . . slagnatilis, Bechst. . . flavipes (Gmel.) ... ochropus, (Linn.) . . solitarius ( IVilson) . . glareola (Gmel.) ... hypoleucus (Linn.) . . macularius (Linn.) . brevipes Vieill. . . . incanus (Gmel.) ... Terekia cinerea (Giild.) . . . Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.) ,, semipalmatus, Jerdon . . . Limosa lapponica (Linn.) . . ,, baueri, Naum. . . . ,, belgica (Gmel.) ... Numenius borealis (Forster) . . minutus, Gould . . phseopus (Linn.) . . variegatus (Scopoli) . tenuirostris, Vieill. . arquatus (Linn.) . . cyanopus, Vieill. . Ibidorhynchus struthersi, Vigors Hydrochelidon nigra (Linn.) . ,, leucoptera^e/zms. ) Sterna macrura, Naum. fluviatilis, Naum. longipennis, Nordm. dougalli, Montag. . media, Horsf. . . cantiaca, Gmel. oaspia, Pall. maxima, Bodd. « anglica, Montag. . minuta, Linn. . sinensis, Ghnel. aleutica, Baird fuliginosa, Gmel. . ansestheta, Scop. . PAGE 774 775 776 776 777 778 779 780 780 782 782 783 784 786 787 787 788 789 790 790 791 792 793 794 794 795 796 797 798 798 800 800 801 802 802 803 804 805 805 806 807 808 809 810 810 811 812 813 814 814 815 816 817 818 818 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART II PAGE Anoue stolidus (Linn.} . . . 819 Xema sabinii (J. Sabinc) . . . 820 Rhodostethia rosea (Macgill. ) . 821 Pagophila ebitrnea (Phipps) . . 821 Rissa tridactyla (JWnw.) ... 822 ., brevirostris (Bruch.) . . 823 Larus ridibundus, Linn. . . . 824 bmnneicephalus, Jcrdon 825 melanocephalus, Natlerer 825 Philadelphia (Ord) . . 826 ichthyaetus, Pall. ... 827 saundersi (Swinh.) . . 827 minutus, Pall 828 carms, Linn 829 gelastes, Thienem . . . 830. audouini, Payraudeau . 831 crassirostris, Vieill. . . 8.32 argentatus. GmeL . . . 832 cachinnans, Pall. . . . 833 vegse, Stejn 834 fuscus, Linn 834 affinis, Rcinhardt . . . 835 schistisagus, Stejn. . . 836 marinus, Linn 836 glaucus, Fabricius . . 837 leucopterus, Faber . . 838 glaucescens, Naum. . . 838 Stercorarius catarrhactes(Zt/m.) 839 ,, pomatorhinus( Temm. ) 840* ,, crepidatus, Banks . 841 ., parasiticus (Linn.) . 842 Procellaria pelagica, Linn. . . 843 Oceanodroma leucorrhoa( Vieill. ) 844 ,, castro (Harcourt) . 845 , , f uliginosa ( Gmel. ) . 846 ,, triBtnmi, Stejn. . 846 ,, mo\iorhis(Swinh. ). 847 „ furcata, (Gmel.) . 847 Oceanites oceamcus (Kuhl.) . . 848 Pelagodroma marina (Lath. ) . 849 Pnffinus anglorum (Temm.} . . 849 yelkonanus (Acerbi) . 850 gravis (O'Reilly) . . 851 tawevLB (Gmel.) . . . 851 kuhli (Boie) .... 852 leucomelas, Temm. . . 852 carneipes, Gould . . 853 tenuirostris (Temm.) . 853 obscurns (Gmel.) . . 854 PAGE Puffinus assimilis. Gould . . 854 CEstrelata haesitata (Kuhl.) . . 855 „ mollis (Gould). . . 855 „ brevipes (Peale) . . 856 ,, longirostris, Stejn. . 856 Bulweria columbina ( Webb and Bertholet) ...... 857 Fulmarus glacialis (Linn.) . . 858 ,, glupischa, Stejn. . . 858 Diomedea albatrus, Pall. . . 859 ,, nigripes, Aud. . . 859 ,, melanophrys, Boie . 860 Alca torda, Linn ...... 861 ,, impennis, Linn ..... 862 ,, troile (Linn.) ..... 862 ,, \omvia, (Pall.) .... 863 Mergulns alle (Linn. ) . . . . 864 Uria grylle, Linn ...... 864 ' mandti, Licht columba (Pall.) ,, snowi (Stejn.) ..... Brachyrhamphus perdix (Pall. ). } , brevirostris ( Vigors) . . Synthliborhamphus antiquus (Gmel.) . , , wumizusume (Temm.). Simor hy nchus cristatellus( Pall. ) » pvgmseus (Gmel.) „ psittaculus( Pall. ) Cerorhyncha monocerata (Pall. ) Lunda cirrhata (Pall. ) . . . Fratercula arctica (Linn. ) . . ,, corniculata (Naum. ) Colymbus septentrionalis, Linn. arcticus, Linn. . . glacialis, Linn. . . adainsi, G. JR. Gray . Podic pes cristatus (Linn. ) . . griseigena (Bodd. ) . . auritus (Linn.) . . nigricollis,.Z£. L.Brehm. fluviatilis ( Tunstall) . Myiophoneus temmincki, Vigors Troglodytes fumigatus, Temm. . 865 866 866 867 867 868 868 869 869 870 870 871 871 872 873 873 874 875 876 877 877 878 879 880 881 883 884 4" GYPS, Savigny, 1870. 710. GRIFFON VULTURE. GYPS FULVUS. Gyps fulvus (Gmel.), Syst. Xat, i. p. 249 (1788) ; (Xaura.), i. p. 162, Taf. 2, xiii. Taf. 338 ; (Gould), B. of E. i. pi. 1 ; Newton, i. p. 1 ; Dresser, v. p. 373, pis. 319, 320 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 5 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 320 ; Saunders, p. 311 ; Lilford, i. p. 77, pi. 39 ; G. hispaniolensis Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 6 (1874) ; G. fulvescem Hume, Ibis, 1869, p. 356. Vautour Griffon, French ; Griffo, Portug. ; Buitre, Span. ; Grifone, Ital. ; Gclnsegeier, German ; Bjelogolovoi Griff ] Russ. ; Nissr, Arab, ; Enisser, Moor. £ ad. (S. Europe). Head and neck sparingly covered with white hairs ; ruff composed of white down, which is more profuse on the hind-neck ; upper parts stone-buff, the middle of the larger wing-coverts darker ; wings and tail darker, the former washed with grey ; under parts stone-buff, the crop patch darker, with lighter stripes ; bill slate ; iris hazel ; legs light brown. Culmen 3'4, wing 30'0, tail 14'9, tarsus 4'0 inch. Sexes alike. The young birds have the feathers on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts pointed, the ruff feathers elongate, and fawn-coloured. Hctb. Southern Europe ; of rare occurrence in Central and Northern Europe ; has once been obtained in Ireland ; Africa south to Nubia; Asia east to Nepal and Sikhim, south to Khandish and the Deccan. Is essentially a carrion eater, and will feed on any refuse. It hunts by sight alone, and does not discover a carcass if covered with grass or boughs. On the ground it is heavy and inert, and where carrion is plentiful will gorge to excess. On the wing however it is active and even graceful. It breeds in communities in the rocks, constructing a carelessly built nest. of sticks lined with grass which is placed on the bare rock, and from February to April it deposits a single egg, or sometimes two, which are white, rather rough in shell, but occasionally, though rarely, the egg is slightly spotted with red. In size they average 3'63 by 2'72. 711. HIMALAYAN GRIFFON. GYPS HIMALAYENSIS. Gyps himalayensis, Hume, Eough Notes, p. 12 (1869) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 8 ; Blanford, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 321 ; G. nivicola, Severtzoff, Turk. Jevot. p. 111. pi. vii. (1873). L L 500 GYPS—VULTUR Zaigan Tasso, Mongol. ; Gutincar, Tangut. £ ad. (Nepal). Differs chiefly from G. fulvus in having the shaft- stripes on the lower plumage very broad and the fourth, and not the third primary longest ; upper parts pale isabelline white tinged with brown, and with obsolete pale shaft-stripes, the lower back whitish, the rump and upper tail-coverts buff; quills and tail blackish brown, the inner secondaries fulvous at the tips ; crop-patch brownish with, paler stripes ; rest of under parts light brownish buff with broad whitish shaft stripes ; under tail-coverts pale buff ; bill pale horny green ; cere pale brown ; legs dingy greenish grey ; iris brownish yellow. Culmen 3 '7, wing 30, tail 15-5, tarsus 4*6 inch. Sexes alike. The young are dark brown strongly striped with whitish, and the wing and tail-feathers are nearlv black. Hob. The Himalayas from Cabul to Bhutan, Turkestan, Kan-su, Koko-nor, and Northern Tibet. Is essentially a mountain bird, only descending to lower altitudes when compelled to do so in search of food, and in its general habits it agrees closely with G. fulvus. It breeds at high altitudes from late in December to early in March, con- structing a platform of sticks in the most inaccessible parts of the rocks, usually on the face of a cliff, and occasionally it will take possession of a deserted Eagle's nest. Only a single egg is deposited, which is greyish white usually blotched and stained with reddish brown, and measures about 376 by 2*75. VULTUE, Linn., 1766. 712. BLACK VULTURE. VULTUR MONACHUS. Valtur monachus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 122 (1766) ; Dresser, v. p. 383> pi. 321 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 3 ; Blanford, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 317 ; V. cinereus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1788) ; Naum. i. p. 155, Taf. i. ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 2. Vautour arrian, French ; Pica osso, Portug. ; Buitre negro, Span. ; Avvoltoio nero, Ital. ; Kuttengeicr, German ; Graff rib, Dan. ; Ghernoburui Griff,. Russ. ; Kdla-gidh, Hindu. £ ad. (S. E. Europe). Head and neck covered with hair-like feathers, ruff brownish ; general colour of the plumage brownish, the quills and tail-feathers blackish brown ; bill dark horn ; cere pale mauve, naked skin of the neck livid flesh colour ; legs and feet pearly white ; iris brown. Culmen 3 -3, wing 30 '0, tail 17 '0, tarsus 4-0 inch. The young bird is- much darker, blackish brown in colour, wings and tail nearly black. VUL TUR— NEOPHRON 501 Hal. Southern Europe ; a rare straggler to the northern parts of Continental Europe ; Xorth Africa, rarer in the western portions, in East Africa south to Nubia ; Asia Minor and Central Asia to India and China. In habits it resembles the Griffon, and like that bird is a carrion eater. It breeds about the same time as the Griffon, but unlike that species almost always places its nest in a tree, "more seldom on a cliff. The riest is a bulky structure of boughs and sticks, lined with small twigs and wool, and one egg is deposited, very rarely two, which is white, richly marked with dark red, and the average size is 3'51 by 276. Eggs from Eastern Europe are as a rule less richly marked than those from Spain. NEOPHRON, Savigny, 1810. 713. EGYPTIAN VULTURE. NEOPHRON PERCNOPTERUS. Neophron percnopterus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 123 (1766); (Naiim.) i. p. 170, Taf. 3 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 5. pi. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 3 ; Newton, i. p. 6 ; Dresser, v. p. 391, pi. 322 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 17 ; Blanford, F. Brit. Incl. Birds, iii. p. 327 ; Saunders, p. 313 ; Lilford, i. p. 83, pi. 40. Vautour d'Egypte, French ; Abutre, Portug. ; Alimoclio, Span. ; Capovacca/o, Ital. ; Schmutziger Aasvogel, German ; Stervatnik, Buss. ; Edkhma, Arab. ; Bekhama, Moor. ; Ak-laba, Turk. ; Kusgun, Tartar. <£ ad. (Spain). General colour white, tinged with creamy buff ; fore- part of the head and throat bare ; feathers on the occiput and back of the neck elongated, lanceolate, tinged with creamy buff ; primaries blackish margined with greyish buff on the outer web ; secondaries varied, dark brown and buff ; tail white ; bare part of the head yellow ; beak yellow at the base, otherwise dusky blackish ; legs and feet dark flesh-colour, claws black ; iris deep red. Culmen 2'8, wing 19'2, tail 10*0, tarsus 3'4 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird is blackish brown, the feathers tipped with fulvous, the bare part of the head with scattered blackish brown tufts ; bare portions of the head livid ; bill dusky yellowish at the base ; legs livid greyish ; iris brown. Hob. Southern Europe, of rare occurrence north of the Alps; has twice occurred in England; Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape Verde Islands ; Africa south to the Cape of Good Hope ; Asia east to Western India. There it meets with. L L 2 502 NEOPHRON— G YPAETUS N. ginginianus, which replaces it further east, and which is distinguishable by having the bill entirely yellow, and being smaller in size. Like its allies it is a carrion feeder, and as nothing is too offensive for its palate it is, in southern climes, a most useful scavenger. Except when collected round a carcase it is usually to be seen singly or in pairs, never in flocks, and it likewise breeds in scattered pairs. Its nest, which is generally placed on a cliff, seldom on a tree, is a clumsy structure of sticks and grass, lined with grass, rags, or any other available soft material, and its eggs, 2 in number, occasionally however only 1, are deposited in April or May, and are richly blotched with rusty red or dark red on a white or yellowish white ground, and in -size average 2 '5 7 by 2*01. GYPAETUS, Storr, 1874. 714. BEARDED VULTURE. GYPAETUS BARBATUS. •Gijpaetus larlatus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 123 (1766) ; Naum. i. p. 180, Taf. 4, 5 ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 4 ; Dresser, v. p. 401, pis. 323, 324, 325 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 228 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 328. Gypaete des Alpes, French ; Quebranta-huesos, Span. ; Avvoltojo barbuto, Ital. ; Lcimmergeier, German ; Jagnjatnik, Russ. ;. Tochligoturan, Tartar ; Bou-lachiah, Arab. ; Argul, Hindu. $ ad. (Spain). Crown and neck creamy white washed with rust- colour ; bristles on the chin, lores, and a broad line passing over and round the eye deep black ; upper parts blackish grey with a metallic gloss, the upper back and wing-coverts with a yellowish central line on the feathers ; quills blackish grey washed with slate-grey ; tail slate-grey margined with blackish brown, and wedge-shaped ; under parts rich light rusty yellow, the throat and neck washed with rusty red ; bill bluish horn, blackish at the tip ; feet plumbeous ; iris pale orange, the sclerotic membrane blood-red. Culmen 3*8, wing 31'0, tail 20'0, tarsus 4-1 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird of the year has the head, neck, and upper parts blackish brown, and the under parts dull rufous buff or brownish grey. Hob. The mountains of Southern Europe and North Africa ; is still found in the French and Spanish Pyrenees, but is nearly if not quite extinct in the Alps and Tyrol ; Bosnia, ^Greece, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Asia Minor ; the Himalaya G YPAETUS— CIRCUS 503 as far east as Sikhim ; North China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Dauria. Inhabits the higher mountain ranges, and is solitary in its habits. It feeds on carrion, refuse, etc., like the Vultures, and though it is said to attack lambs and kids and even goats and chamois, it is doubtful if this is the case, except when the animal is weakly or in a dying state ; it is a cowardly bird, and will allow itself to be bullied by a Falcon not. a fourth of its size. Its note is a feeble, querulous cry. It breeds in the high mountains in a cave or on a shelf of the cliff, its nest being a bulky structure of sticks, etc., lined with wool, hair, or any soft material, and from the end of December to May, according to locality, it deposits 2 eggs, dull yellowish or rusty orange in colour, measuring about 318 by 2*47. CIRCUS, Lacep., 1851. 715. MARSH-HARRIER. CIRCUS ^RUGINOSUS. Circus ceruginosus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 130 (1766) : Gould, B. of Gt, Brit. i. pis. 24, 25 ; Hewitson, i. p. 44, pi. xvi. fig. 1 ; Newton, i. p. 127 ; Dresser, v. p. 415, pis. 326, 327 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 69 ; Radde. Orn. Caucas. p. 106, Taf. iii. ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 387 ; Saunders, p. 315 ; Lilford, i. p. 67, pis. 34, 35 ; C. rufus (Gmel.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 266 (1788) ; (Natim.), i., p. 378, Taf. 37, 38, fig. 1 /Gould, B. of. E. pi. 32. Busard des marais, French ; Aguilucho, Span. ; Milhano, Portug. ; Falco di padule, Ital. ; Rohrweihe, German : Rielwouw, Dutch ; Rodbrun Kjcerlwg, Dan. ; Rostbrun Karrhok, Swed. ; Kamyschevoi Lun, Russ. ; Kamysch-Kara^axtw, Hedia, Moor.; Bouschrada, Arab. ; Kular, Kulesir, Hindu. £ ad. (Spain). Crown and nape yellowish white striped with chocolate and blackish brown ; back and scapulars blackish chocolate slightly marked with dark fulvous ; tail ashy grey tipped with yellowish buff ; primaries blackish brown, the inner ones marked with ashy grey, secondaries and larger wing-coverts dark silvery grey ; smaller coverts blackish chocolate marked with whitish ; chin dirty white ; breast yellowish white marked with reddish brown ; rest of under part& rusty brown striped or marked with darker brown ; bill horn ; legs and cere yellow ; iris lemon yellow. Culmen 1'32, wing 14'8, tail 8'9, tarsus 3'3 inch. The old female is rather larger than the male, has the crown, nape, and chin creamy white, the two former striated with blackish ; back white marked with umber, the rump ochreous ; wings and tail dark brown 504 CIRCUS white with a creamy white margin along the edge of the wing ; throat warm ash-brown ; rest of the under parts dark brown with a white band marked with brown across the breast. The young birds are dark chocolate-brown, the crown, nape, chin, and upper throat warm orange-buff, but they vary a good deal as regards the amount of buff on the head, and as in other Harriers dark blackish varieties occur, one figured by Dr. Kadde (I.e.} being all dark brown, the upper parts with rufous margins to the feathers, and the tail grey washed with pale brown. Hob. Europe ; in Sweden seldom found above 60° N. Lat., and of very rare occurrence in Norway and Finland; Great Britain ; Africa as far south as the Transvaal ; Asia east as far as China and Japan and throughout India and Ceylon ; in winter south to the Philippines. Is essentially a marsh-haunting bird, and is generally to be met with in damp swampy places, especially where water-birds breed in numbers. In the northern portions of its range it is a migrant but a resident in the south. As a rule it is a silent bird, but in the breeding season the male may be heard uttering a clear, loud call keew, that of the female being a clear prolonged shrill pee-ep. It feeds on frogs, small snakes, small mammals, young birds, and eggs, and is very destructive to the breeding colonies of water-birds. Being however cowardly and not possessing much power of night it will not attack any but the smaller or weakly birds, and it is doubtful if it dare even attack a rat. Its nest, which is a carelessly constructed bulky structure of sticks, reeds, and flags, is placed on the ground or on the masses of half floating marsh herbage, and its eggs, 4 to 5, .seldom 6 in number, are usually laid in April or May, and are unspotted, greenish or blue-greenish-white in colour, rather roundish in shape, and measure about 1*95 by 1*51. 716. EASTERN MARSH-HARRIER. CIRCUS SPILONOTUS. Circus spilonotus, Kaup. in Jardine's Contrib. Orn. 1850, p. 59 ; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1863, pi. v. ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 58 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 29 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 388 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 112. Khoulda, in Darasun. £ ad. (Siberia). Differs from the very old male of C. a'ruginosus chiefly in lacking nil the rufous tinge on the upper tail-coverts and all the under parts ; crown, nape, forepart of the back, scapulars, and edge of the wing white tinged with buff and streaked with blackish brown : back and inner secondaries blackish brown sparingly spotted or blotched with dull white ; outer primaries blackish ; the rest of the wing silvery grey ; upper CIRCUS 505 tail-coverts white faintly barred with grey ; tail grey with a brownish tinge, the outer feathers whiter ; under parts white, the chin, throat, and breast .streaked with blackish brown ; soft parts as in C. ccrufjinoms. Culmen 1*6, wing 15*5, tail 9'25, tarsus 3*5 inch. The female is larger and differs from that of C. (cruginosus in having the crown blackish brown marked with rufous buff, and the tail with dark bands which are nearly obsolete in very old birds. The young bird closely resembles that of C. (cruginosus. Hal. Of doubtful occurrence in India; South-east Siberia, Mongolia, China, Burma, and Japan, south to the Philippines and the Malay peninsula. In habits it closely resembles C. ccruginosus, but is said to be more kite-like in appearance. Its food is similar to that of the Marsh-Harrier, and like that species it feeds largely on the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Its nest, which is placed in damp marshy places, often on masses of floating herbage, is a clumsy structure of dry herbage, and the eggs, which are usually deposited in June, are white tinged with greenish blue and measure about 1'90 by 1*50. 717. MONTAGU'S HARRIER. CIRCUS CINERACEUS. Circus cineraceus (Montag.), Orn. Diet. i. sheet K. 3. (1802) ; (Naum.) i. p. 402, Taf. 40 ; Gould, B. of E. i. pi. 35 ; Hewitson, i. p. 49, pi. xvi. fig. 3 ; Newton, i. p. 38 ; Dresser, v. p. 423, pi. 328 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 383 ; Saunders, p. 319 ; Lilford, i. p. 73, pis. 37, 38 ; C. cinerarius. Leach, Syst. Cat. Mam. etc. Brit. Mus. p. 9. (1816) ; C. cmerascens, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 41 (1825) ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. i. pi. xxvii ; C. pygargus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 64 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 28 (nee. Linn.) ; C. montagui. Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xxxi. p. 411 (1819). Busard cendre, French ; Aguicn cagadeira, Portug. ; Cenizo, Span. ; Albanclla minor e, Ital. ; Wiesenweihe, German ; Graauwe Kuikendief, Dutch ; Greta Kjaerhog, Dan. ; Mindre Ktirrliok, Swed. ; Lugovoi Lun, Russ. ; Bouschrada, Arab. ; Dastmal, Hindu. ; Pandouvi, Beng.