T A B . XXVIII.
V U L T U R SECRETARIUS.
CHARACTER GENERICUS.
Roßrum re£lum, apice aduncum.
Caput impenne, antice nuda cute.
Lingua bifida. LIN. SYST. NAT. p. 121.
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS, &c.
V . plumbeus, occipite criftato, pedibus elongatis, remigibus criflb femoribufque nigris, reftricibus
intermediis longiffimis. LATH. IND. ORN. p. 8.
Grus Capenfis criftata. PET. GAZ. t. 12. f. 12?
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Bill ftrait, hooked at the tip.
Head generally bare of feathers, with a naked ikin on the fore-part.
Tongue bifid.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER, 8cc.
Lead-coloured Vulture with the head crefted, the legs very long, the wing-feathers, vent, and
thighs black, and the two middle tail-featliers extremely long.
Melfager du Cap de Bonne Efperance. PL. ENL. 721.
So extremely dilTimilar in habit or general appearance is this fpecies of Vulture to all the reft
of its genus, that it appears at firft view ratlier to belong to the very difi^erent order of Grallas,
or Waders. Its generic charaders alfo are in fome degree doubtful, and it has by fome naturalifts
been defcribed rather as a fpecies of Falco than of Vultur. In compliance however with
the prefent ornithologifts, and particularly the accurate Mr. Latham, we iliall proceed to defcribe
it as a real Vulmre, in which genus it may iland as an anomalous and irregular fpecies.
It is a large and ftately bird, and, when ftanding upright, is nearly three feet high from the head
to the ground; in which attitude fo ftrildng is its general refemblance to one of the Grallse that
the accurate Edwards aíTures us that at firil fight he regarded the bird as a ijjecies of Heron,
till on a nearer furvey he faw its true charafters. The general colour of the bird is a blueiih
aih-colour, but the long-feathers of the wings, the lower part of the belly and thighs, are black.
Near the end of the tail is generally a narrow band of black, which is fucceeded by a white
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