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THE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB 



BY 



0. H. Donald, f. z. s. 



Part IV. 



(Continued from ^fctge 835 of Vol. XXVI.) 

 Type F. 



Family FALCONID^. 

 Subfamily FALCONING. 



Genus Buteo. 

 No. 1240. Buteo leucocephalus. The Upland Buzzard. 



Characteristics. 

 Colouration. 



Measurements. 

 Habits, etc. 



Tarsus about 3'5, feathered for about two-thirds 

 its length, naked part in front reticulated ; wing 

 over 16" ; irides white or buff. 



" Colouration above rather pale greyish-brown, 

 with more or less rufous on the feathers of the nape 

 and upper back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and upper 

 tail-coverts ; white bases of feathers often conspi- 

 cuous on the head and neck, which are sometimes 

 white streaked with brown ; quills as in B. ferox, but 

 there is no grey on the outer webs of the primaries ; 

 tail brown above, with dark bars, paler below, 

 whitish near the shafts and towards the base, some- 

 times bordered with rufous ; lower parts white, the 

 throat streaked with brown; upper breast and 

 abdomen with large brown spots irregularly distri- 

 buted, sometmies edged with rufous ; lower breast 

 as a rule white ; the upper breast, flanks and thigh- 

 coverts often entirely brown, and sometimes, as in 

 Hodgson's type, the whole breast and abdomen. No 

 rufous or fuliginous phase is known " (Blanford.) 



" Bill bluish horny ; irides white ; legs and feet 

 wax-yellow. (Henderson.) Cere greenish-yellow ; 

 irides light buff. " (Shanghai Mus. label). 



" Length of a female 25-5 ; tail 10-75 ; wing 19-20 ; 

 tarsus 3'5 ; mid-toe without claw 1'8 ; bill from 

 gape 2." 



Little or nothing appears to be known about this 

 species and only two or three specimens have been 

 procured, in the Himalayas. One from Native 

 Sikhim and the other from the Pir Panjal Range, 

 in Kashmir. 



It appears to be a more robust bird than B. ferox 

 with larger bill and feet and more powerful claws. 



The difference in the feathering of the tarsi and 

 the curious white or pale buff eye should differentiate 

 it from the last species. I have never seen it to my 

 knowledge, so cannot describe its flight. 



Nothing appears to be known regarding its nidifi- 

 cation. 



