LAMMERGEIER, liim'milr-gri•r (Ger. IAm inergeier. lambs' vulture, from 'Ammer. pl. of Lamm, OHG., AS., Eng. lamb + Geier, OHG. qir, vulture; connected with OHG. ger, girl, Orig. Gen girrig, greedy, Goth. gairns, de sirous). The largest of European birds of prey (Gypai'tos barbatus), measuring 40 inches or more in length and from S to 10 feet in extent of wing. Really an eagle, and therefore one of the Falconida•, it has won its name of 'bearded' or 'griffon' vulture from its frequent use of carrion as food, and it often resorts to the remains of vul tures' feasts to gather up and devour the scattered bones. Its fond ordinarily consists of small mammals and young lambs and chamois, in addi tion to carrion, but when driven by hunger it has been known to attack sheep, goats, and even children. In North Africa land tortoises form an important article of its diet, and it is report ed to break open their shells by carrying the turtles high in the air and letting them fall upon rocks. Marrow-bones are broken open in the
same way. The stories of lammergeiers forcing chamois over precipices, and similar tales indica tive of great sagacity and courage, appear to be exaggerated. The fully plumaged bird is handsomely clothed, the back, wings,. and tail being brownish black, the lower parts tawny. and the head white, with black marks on the sides and tufts of black feathers at the mouth angles. The lammergeier ranges from the moun tains of Spain and North Africa eastward through the Alps and mountains of Greece into Asia, as far as Northern China. It is now rare in most parts of Europe, and is destroyed when ever an opportunity offers. It is a bird of majes tic flight, hut has not the royal dimity of some of the eagles. The nest is made of sticks, in a crevice or on a shelf of a cliff. and usually only one egg is laid. This is dull yellow, clouded with rusty brown. See Plate of VimrcaEs.