Page:The Common Birds of Bombay.djvu/28

12 The vultures that one sees in such numbers on Malabar Hill belong to two species, which are easy enough to distinguish when once one's attention has been turned to the difference between them. The commoner of the two, the White-backed or Bengal Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), is a smokey-black bird, with a band of white extending nearly the whole length of each wing on the under side. This band is broken by the dark body, and that serves to distinguish the bird at a glance. The other species is the Long-billed Vulture (Gyps pallescens). Jerdon confounded it with another species and called Gyps indicus. Its general colour is brown, darker or lighter according to age, sometimes almost whitey-brown; but, however light the under parts may be, body and wings are alike. The two species are about the same size and larger than one would suspect who has only seen them at a distance. A good specimen will measure over seven feet from tip to tip of the wings. There is one curious difference in their habits. The Long-billed Vulture breeds always on high cliffs, while its Bengal brother is content to build its nest on any tree big enough to bear the weight of such a ponderous edifice. I have seen a single mango tree groaning under several nests. Each nest contains one egg, generally white (if clean), but sometimes blotched with brown. The breeding season extends over the greater part of the year and eggs may be found from September to March at least. Most young birds are hungry and clamorous, like the daughters of the horseleach, crying give, give, from dawn till dusk. But the young vulture learns patience early. Its mother