V. percnopterus, Lin. &c.; Cathartes percnopterus, Temm.; V. leucocephalus, Lath.; Y. stercorarius, La I'ey rouse; Xeophron percnopterus, Savig.; Ourigouran of Le Vaillant ; Rachanzach of Bruce, &c. Ash-coloured, or Al pine Vulture, Pharaoh's Hen, Aquiline, or Egyptian Vul ture, &c. Male white; female brownish, with lengthened narrow beak, naked face, and black wing feathers, edged with grey. The colouring of the plumage varies consi derably, according to age. The full-grown bird is about the size of a stork, measuring about two feet and a half in length, and about eight feet from tip to tip of the wings.
Both the male and female are of a repulsive and igno ble aspect, and the constant flow of rheum from the nos trils, and of saliva from the two openings in the bill, are little calculated to weaken the impression produced by their haggard and disproportioned form. During the summer months, flocks of them range the rocky heights of the Alps and Pyrenees, and in winter resort to the plains of the south of France and Spain. As they delight in carrion and excrementitious matters, and prey on ser pents and other noisome reptiles, they are protected and cherished in some countries of the east, particularly in Egypt, where they were anciently held in such venera tion, that any person who destroyed them was punished with death. At this day, immense flocks of them are ob served over all the principal towns of Egypt, Syria, and Persia, mingling with other animals of similar appetites and propensities, and clearing away all those relics which would otherwise be left to putrefy, and to infect the air with the most noxious effluvia. In consequence of the long experienced protection of man, they have become fearless of his approach, and feed with the greatest fami liarity, even in the streets of the most populous towns. At Cairo their skins are sold, and converted into very comfortable dresses.
V. barbatus, Lin. &c.; Gypaetus barbatus, Cuv. Temm.; Phene ossifraga, Say.; V. barbatus, Lath ; V. leucocephalus, Meyer; Falco barbatus, Gmel.; Xisser, Bruce, &c. Bearded, or Golden Vulture. Black-brown above, somewhat fulvous beneath ; head and neck cover ed with lanceolate whitish plumes, and the under part of the bill bearded.
This species is a native of many of the wilder regions of Asia and Africa, and exists also, though more sparing ly, in Europe, as in the Swiss Alps and Pyrenees, and in the mountains of Tyrol and Hungary. The German ap pellation of Laemmer Geyer, or Lamb Vulture, has been applied to it, as to other large birds of prey. It is one of the largest of European vultures, measuring between four and five feet in length, and between eight and nine of out stretched wing. Specimens of still more ample dimen sions have been occasionally shot ; and one is cited, by the Abbate Fortis, which was twelve feet in stretch of wing. This enormous bird had haunted the precipitous rocks that skirt the Cettina, in Dalmatia, where the bearded vultures carry off iu their talons, and convey to their eyries, not only sheep, lambs, calves, kids, marmots, Ste. but also children, if they find them unprotected. Accord ing to Pallas, they arrive, for breeding, in the granitic mountains of Odon Tschelon, in Siberia, during the month of April. The individual particularized by Mr.
Bruce, who terms it an Eagle, was considerably larger than that described by Edwards, and weighed twenty-two pounds.
The bearded vulture is said to build its nest in the inaccessible cavities of lofty rocks, and to lay two eggs, whose rough surface is white, marked with brown spots. It obviously forms the connecting link between the vul tures and eagles, and seems to have suggested the exag gerated tales relative to the Roc of oriental writers.
Fuca, Lin. Ste. FALCON.
Head covered with feathers; beak hooked, and gene rally curved from its origin ; a coloured cere, more or less hairy at its base,- the under mandible obliquely rounded, and both the mandibles sometimes notched; nostrils late ral, rounded, or ovoid, pierced in the cere, and open ; tarsi covered either with feathers or scales; three toes before and one behind, the outermost frequently connect ed at its base by a membrane to the middle toe ; claws point ed and sharp, much hooked, moveable and retractile.
This numerous division of the diurnal birds of prey has been conveniently distributed into several sections. Besides the characters which we have just stated, they are distinguished by a projection of the eye-brows, which gives their eyes the appearance of being deep-seated in their orbits, and imparts to their physiognomy a very different aspect from that of the vultures. Their first plumage is often differently coloured from that of the mature bird, which is not induced till the third or fourth year, or even later,—a circumstance which has betrayed many ornithologists into an erroneous multiplication of the species. The female is usually about one-third larger than the male, and has been providently endowed with superior strength, because it is necessary that she should both protect and feed her voracious offspring ; smaller dimensions of the male are more adapted to the rapidity and loftiness of his flight ; and he is, accordingly, more esteemed by falconers. Though they are all carnivo rous, they seldom feed on carrion, except when pressed by hunger, which they are capable of enduring for a long time. They have a very acute sense of sight, and pounce down on their prey with surprising force,prornptitude, and accuracy ; manifesting, however, very different degrees of courage in pursuit of their game. Owing to their great strength, they are capable of carrying birds or other ani mals, nearly as heavy as themselves, to a considesable dis tance, sometimes forty miles or upwards, for the nourish ment of their young. Many of the species eat fish, and others feed principally on the smaller birds, snakes and reptiles. They never associate in flocks ; and, except dur ing the breeding season, even two of them are seldom seen together. Alost of them build their nests or eyries in lofty and inaccessible places ; but a few form them on the ground. They void by the mouth the indigested and bones that happen to be swallowed along with their food, and which are formed in the stomach into round balls or pellets. Upwards of one hundred and fifty alleged species have been described; but of these, many are little known, and not a few are mere varieties, resulting from age, sex, climate, ke.