Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-08
VULTURES OF INDIA.
GIANT BIRDS WHICH ARE NUMEROUS
AND USEFUL


Gorged Himself.
If the city of Bombay had a tutelary
bird, there is no manner of doubt what
bird that should be. / do not know,
says a writer in The Times of India,
why the ancient Egyptian defied the
ibis, but if Bombay bore the proud fig
ere of 4 vuiture rampant on her shield
everybody would know why. OF all the
unsalaricd public servants who have
identified themselves with this city and
devoted their energies to its welfare no
other can take 4 place beside the vul-
ture. Unfortunately the vulture has
never lent itself 70 the spirit of her
aIdry. The eagle has, strangely enough,
though the difference between the two
has never been very well marked in the
popular mind. The translators OF our
Bible had no notion of it.
Modern natural history has olsen
tangled the two names and assigned
them to two very different families of
birds. the distinction between which III
its essence is just this-that while the
eagle kills its prey the less impatient
vulture waits decently till its time
comes to die. Popular sentiment persists
in regarding the former as the more
noble. but there can be no question
which is the more useful.
1t is not easy indeed to realize TO one
self the extent and bencficence of the
work carried on throughout the length
and breadth of India from years end to
years end by the mighty race of vul-
lures. The writer continues: The vul-
lures that one sees III such numbers on
Malabar hill belong to two species,
which arc easy enough to distinguish
when once ones attention has been
turned to the difference between them.
The commoner of the two, the white
backed or Bengal vulture (Gyps benga-
lensis) Is a smoky black bird, with q
band of white extending the whole
length Of the wings On the underside.
This band is broken by the dark body,
and that serves to distinguish the bird
at glance.
The other species Is the long billed
vulture CGyps pallescens) Of Barnes.
.Terdon COMPOUNDED it with another spe-
cies. Its general color is brown, darker
or lighter according 10 age, sometimes
almost Witty brown; but, however
white the underparts 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 enc curious difference in
their habits The long billed vulture
breeds always on high cliffs, while It's
Bengal brother is content TO build its
nest on any tree big enough to bear the
,ryIF Af n6I 7
have seen a single mango tree groaning
under the weight of two or three nests
on the other side Of the harbor Each
nest contains ono egg, generally white,
but sometimes blotched with brown.
Once fairly in the air, no bird surpasses
the majesty of its flight The question
has often been hotIy discussed whether
birds can sail without Tapping their
wings.
The difficulty originated, of course,
with somebody of that unfortunate class
who must reason about a question of
fact !ustead of looking. He demonstrat-
ed that such feat was impossible. The
vultures kept on doing it all the same,
and any one may watch them. For
hours together they will sail IN circles
or rather in spirals, without the slight
est motion of their wings beyond trim
ming them to the wind like the sails of
a boat. OF course there must be wind.
There are two other kinds of vultuTes
which may occasionally be seen in Bonn
bav. Ono is the king vulture (Otogyps
caIvus), a royal bird, not indeed larger
than the others, but of nobler aspect and
prouder character. 1t appears singly or
with its mate and Will not consort with
the herd. When it comes TO a carcass,
the others have to stand by until it has
dined. There is no difficulty in recog-
MIXING this species by its deep black col
or, relieved only by two pure white
catches on its thighs and by the blood
red ,Iur of its bare head and neck. Our
fourth y,l ,ture is the foul bird known as
Pharaoh's chicken, Is well as by other
less reputable na'ues- Its title In scence
is Neophron ginginianus-
1t is one of the co'umonest birds
about Pconah and everywhere on the
plains of the Deccan. but seldom visits
the coast. 1 have, however. seen pair
on more than one occasion about the
flats. 1t is a white bird, not much big
ger than q kite, with only the quill
feathers of the wing black. Its bill is
long and thin. its naked face yellow and
its tail wedge shaped. Its neck is not
bare, but clothed with long, rusty white
feathers, pointing backward. 1t does
not stand upright, like the true vultures,
but carries its body like a duck and
walks like a recruit. Bv these signs
YOU may know Pharaoh's chicken. 1t
makes its shabby nest of sticks, rags and
rubbish IN trees, lodges of public build
ings or anywhere about March and lays
two white eggs. more or less blotched