identified on the Zambesi, but no specimens were preserved by him
or by Dr. Dickerson. Mr. Andersson obtained it in Great Namaqua
Land and also near the Seeo-Kaama Hill, S.W. of Lake Ngami. It
is further known from north-eastern Africa and Senegambia.
General colour above, blackish brown; thighs, under part of body,
and neck white ; quill feathers of wing and tail black; bare part of
neck, space round eyes, and base of bill white; bill and feet flesh-
coloured. Top of head covered with white down in the adult and
brown in the immature plumage, which at the back is elongated and
reversed. Length, 3 '; wing, V 11"; tail, 9".
Fig. Temm. PI. Col. 13.
5 . N eo phro n percnopterus. Egyptian Vulture.
At this end of the Cape Colony this is decidedly a scarce species;
but few specimens have reached our hands. We saw a single bird
feeding on a dead horse, off which it drove three hungry white-necked
Crows not far from the Paarl. It is very abundant at the Cape de
Verde Islands, breeding in the rocky precipices in St. Vincent’s, at
the back of the town, off which the steamers lie to coal. We ascended
to their nests, which were vast masses of sticks; but were, we believe,
too late (December) for their eggs. Mr. Atmore has found it breeding
about Swellendam, and Mr. A. P. Ortlepp near Colesberg. The
latter gentleman writes that beneath the nest he found “ vast numbers
of the crania of small Rodents.”
A couple of magnificent eggs were sent to me from the neighbourhood
of Hopefield in the Malmesbury Division, taken from a nest
■ in a krantz, which is said to be tenanted yearly by a pair of these
birds. Mr. Rickard has procured the species at East London, and
informs us that it is also said to frequent a krantz on the Buffalo
river where Gyps Icolbi breeds.
Mr. Andersson records it as “ not uncommon in Damara Land and
Great Namaqua Land and the parts adjacent, more especially in the
neighbourhood of the coast.” The Leiden Museum also possesses an
example from Benguela. On the eastern part of South Africa it is
decidedly a scarce species, being very rare in Natal according to Mr.
Ayres, and in the Zambesi district it was only once observed in the
mountains to the South of Nyassa by Dr. Kirk, who says :—“ It is
a rare bird and was nowhere else obtained.” Mr. T. E. Buckley
found it rare in the Matabili country.
Mr. Henry Buckley sends the following note:—“ My eggs vary
from 3’04xl’98 to 2-43xl'88 inches. They differ much in size and
shape, but are usually a broad oval. They vary much in colour, from
dirty white with faint markings of brown to others richly coloured
all over with reddish brown, and frequently splashed with darker
markings of the same colour. (I have no South African specimens.)”
General.colour dirty white; feathers of nape narrow, elongated,
and pointed; quill feathers of wings black; secondaries greyish
black; tail white; bill long, slender, horn-coloured at the tip, yellow
at the base; space round the eyes, cheeks, ears, chin, and part of
throat bare and yellow. Length, 2' 3"; wing, 1' 10"; tail, 1' 11".
The young bird is wholly of a dirty dark-brown.
Fig. Gould, Birds of Eur. PI. 3.
6 . N eophron p il ea tu s . Hooded Vulture.
We have not ourselves met with this species, but have been informed
that there are two Vultures of this genus inhabiting the country
North of the Orange River and Damara Land. One of them is
the common N. percnopterus; the other probably the present species.
Mr. Andersson says it is not common in Damara Land, but becomes
more numerous as one approaches the Orange River. Mr. Ayres
states that he has seen but few in Natal, but it is more plentiful
towards the Zambesi, for Dr. Kirk writes :—“ The common Vulture,
called f Dezo,’ of which no specimen was prepared, is universal; it is
a Neophron, resembling the common brown Vulture at the Cape.”
I t must be remarked that the Hooded Vulture of the countries
north of the Equator is always a much smaller bird, although this is
usually the case when Cape species occur in northern or western
Africa. The Vulture from the latter parts shows the feathers of the
hind neck ascending towards the nape, which has been made its claim
to specific distinctness in a catalogue of the Birds of Prey in the
British Museum, recently published by the editor.
Plumage brown, variegated with fulvous on the thighs; tarsi
black; top of head, cheeks, and front of neck entirely bare; lower
part of neck and posterior portion, almost to the hind-head, covered
with a close greyish down. Length, 2' 2"; wing, 19"; tail, 7".