The Brown Vulture lives and breeds throughout all the most southern countries of Europe, and is met with in Africa in the regions around the Atlas Mountains. In Asia it is becoming extremely numerous, owing, it is supposed, to the rapid spread of disease amongst the cattle, whose carcases afford it a constant supply of food. The movements of this species are distinguished by a dignity that is very unusual amongst the Vultures. Its eye is fiery and intelligent, its bearing much like that of the Eagle, and its entire demeanour calm and almost majestic. Even when feeding, it exhibits none of the haste and violence observable in the Goose Vultures. Its principal food appears to be carrion, but it rarely touches the entrails, usually contenting itself with eating the flesh and swallowing the bones of the prey, which, we are told on good authority, it sometimes kills. Unlike those species above described, the Brown Vulture builds exclusively upon trees; its nest is large, and formed of thick boughs and small branches, the flat interior being lined with thin dry twigs. The one white coarse-shelled egg that constitutes the brood in size resembles that of the Goose. Both parents tend their offspring with great care, and feed it upon flesh for four months, as until that time it is unable to fly. Attempts to render this bird tractable in captivity usually prove fruitless, but instances have been lately known in which the Brown Vulture has been made so tame as to run about a farm-yard on excellent terms with its inhabitants, and to allow children to play with it. [Illustration: THE TAWNY GOOSE VULTURE (_Gyps fulvus_).] THE CRESTED VULTURE. The VARIEGATED or CRESTED VULTURE (_Vultur occipitalis_) is an inhabitant of Central Africa, and is now regarded as the type of a distinct group (_Lophogyps_). In this bird the entire upper part of the body, breast, and tail, are covered with black feathers, edged with brown; the region of the crop, belly, feet, and secondary quills are pure white, the primaries black. The crest is composed of white woolly down; the bare neck is blueish white, and covered in front with from eight to ten lines of small blackish warts; the eye is dark brown, the beak blackish blue at its tip, and reddish brown at its base; the lower mandible and cere are light blue; the feet pale purple, or reddish white. The plumage of the young is of an uniform dark blackish brown colour, the eye is grey, the beak red, and the foot white. This species of Crested Vulture inhabits all the woodland districts of California, where it lives either alone or in pairs, and though by no means shy, seldom ventures near towns or villages. In its general habits it closely resembles its congeners already described. * * * * *