. The royal natural history. e appearance. In the 3oung bird, as shown inthe upper figure of our illustration on the next page, the head, neck, and throat areblackish brown, and the rest of the body-plumage pale brown, with the exceptionof some creamy white patches on the upper part of the back. The female is some-what larger than the male; and the expanse of wing often exceeds 9 feet. Indianexamples are those which commonly show the black gorget on the chest. The lammergeier is essentially a mountain-bird, and, in spite of numerousstories to the contrary, appears to subsist mainly on aninials
. The royal natural history. e appearance. In the 3oung bird, as shown inthe upper figure of our illustration on the next page, the head, neck, and throat areblackish brown, and the rest of the body-plumage pale brown, with the exceptionof some creamy white patches on the upper part of the back. The female is some-what larger than the male; and the expanse of wing often exceeds 9 feet. Indianexamples are those which commonly show the black gorget on the chest. The lammergeier is essentially a mountain-bird, and, in spite of numerousstories to the contrary, appears to subsist mainly on aninials not killed byitself and carrion, although it may occasionally attack and kill some of thesmaller animals; such at least are undoubtedly its habits in the Himalaya. 252 DIURNAL BIRDS OF PRE V. When on the wing, the lammergeier may be easily recognised by its long pointedings and tail; and also by its mode of flight, which is even and gliding, withoccasional flap of the wings. When hunting, it skims along the sides of the wan. LAMMERGEIER AND NEST. mountains, following every undulation of the hillside, and working backwardsand forwards in regular beats, so that scarcely anything escapes its the Alps the lammergeier is now well-nigh exterminated, the last Swiss VULTURES. 253 specimen having been found poisoned in the winter of 1887. This was a femalewhich had been known to haunt the Bietsch Horn for some twenty-five years pre-viously, its mate having been killed in 18G2. It is stated, however, that a singlebird was seen in Switzerland in 1888. In the Italian Alps the lammergeier is stillmet with, while in Spain and the Caucasus it is abundant. In the Himalaya thesesplendid birds may be seen in numbers during the spring in the outer ranges,especially in the neighbourhood of the hill-station of Mari, but in the summer theymigrate northwards to Kashmir, Baltistan, Ladak, etc. Usually a shy bird, in theneighbourhood of Abbotabad the lammergeiers became quite accustomed to t
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