Himalayas and Turkestan. Beyond the next species to be considered,
it is probably the only Griffon Vulture found in South Africa, for it
is unlikely that the specimen' of the true Gyps fulvus in the British
Museum, which was purchased from Leadbeater, did really come from .
the Cape of Good Hope, as it was said to have done.
The Griffon Vulture is found throughout the Colony and Natal, and
still lingers even in the neighbourhood of Cape Town. They breed
in the most inaccessible precipices, depositing a few sticks in some
hollow of the rock, on which they lay one egg, which is of a dirty
white, more or less blotched and speckled with very light brown,
particularly at the obtuse end.- Axis, 8” 9 " '; diam. 2" 10'";
weight 9‘03. It is usually laid in June.
Mr. Henry Buckley, who has kindly furnished much interesting
matter to this work, writes as follows:—“ My eggs were taken at
Nel’s Poort, June, 1868. They vary from 3-72 x 2 75 to 3‘62 X 2-58.
They are white in colour, with faint brown spots and streaks, which
however may be only nest stains.”
At Nel’s Poort* is a breeding place of these birds. It is situated
half way up a vast inaccessible precipice, and is their constant resort
at all times of the year. It is frequented by great numbers of birds,
and their dung whitens the cliff to such an extent, that the spot is
visible many miles off. They have bred in this place from time immemorial,
and from it they range over the surrounding country. On
killing a springbuck or any animal, it is curious to see how they come
trooping in a lengthened string from this place to their anticipated
banquet. Though not one may be visible when the shot is fired, in
seven or eight minutes hundreds will be gliding to the spot.
The Ohumie Banner has the following :—“ We are informed by Mr.
M’A1 is ter of the Bontebok Flats, that a little while ago he was surprised
by ‘ Aasvogels’ making an attack on his flock of sheep.
Two persons were on the spot trying to stop these avaricious birds,
but in vain. It was not until Mr. M’Alister arrived that they were
made to leave their prey, after killing and devouring two full-grown
sheep. They even attacked two herds with daring courage, caring
for nothing.” The editor has also been informed of an attack made
by Vultures on a flock of sheep near Oolesberg, and that it really was
a Griffon, and no Eagle which was the robber. Specimens are
* For an account of a successful raid on the Yultures “ Krantz” in the Nel’s
Poort Mountains* see Ibis, 1869, p. 68.
promised for the national collection, so that the species will doubtless
soon be identified.
General colour fulvous; head and neck covered with short dirty
whitish hairs; lower part of cervix bare and bluish; lower part of
throat and middle of breast covered with short grey-brown feathers:
whitish down on the rest of throat, sides of neck and upper part of
cervix; a ruff of short white feathers on the back and lower part of
neck; wing and tail feathers very dark-brown. Length, 3' 9";
wing, 2' 4"; tail, 12".
Fig. Sharpe, Oat. B. pi. 1.
2 . G yps r u e p p e l l i. Riippell’s Griffon Vulture.
Gyps vulgaris, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 7 (1867).
Mr. Jules Verreaux informs us that this Vulture is only found accidentally
to the south of the Orange River, its head-quarters being
to the northward. It is, however, undoubtedly a rare species in
Southern Africa. The Norwich Museum contains a specimen from
this locality, besides the example procured by Mr. Ayres in Natal.
The late Mr. Andersson collected a single one shot at Ondonga, and
these notices seem to include all the occurrences of Ruppell’s Griffon
Vulture within the region of which this work treats.
The following description is from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue.’
Nearly adult. Down on head golden yellow; ruff yellowish white;
mterscapular and scapular feathers dark brown, with a conspicuous
crescentic edging of fulvous white; wing-coverts creamy white, the
brown bases showing plainly on the median and greater series, the
latter conspicuously tipped with creamy white, as also are the inner
secondaries; quills black, primaries washed with chocolate-brown;
lower back and rump dark brown, narrowly edged with creamy
white, the upper tail-coverts more broadly; tail black, slightly
shaded with chocolate-brown; Crop-patch deep chocolate-brown;
under surface dull creamy buff, some of the flank-feathers showing
the brown bases; under wing-coverts dark brown, with cream-
coloured tips; bill black; cere black; feet black; iris nearly black.*
Total length about 40 inches, culmen 3-8, wing 25-5, tail 11, tarsus
about 4-7, middle toe 5‘3.
Nig. Cretzschm. in Ruppell’s Atlas, taf. 32.
The iris varies much in colour, perhaps according to age. Cf. Gurney, Ibis,
1860, p . 207.
B 2