1002 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



or on the outskirts of Alpine pastures, and frequent- 

 ly in grassy " nallahs " are places where this bird 

 may be found. 



It is, I think, more given to soaring than is B. ferox 

 and is often to be seen circling high above the trees 

 for considerable periods at a time. 



After attaining a good height, it has a way of 

 closing its wings and dropping at a tremendous 

 pace, as though after some quarry, but it usually 

 ends up by alighting on some convenient tree, over- 

 looking a glade, where, like B. ferox, it will sit by 

 the hour, waiting for a vole to turn up. 



In the spring a pair might often be seen stooping 

 at each other and again in the autumn, when the 

 youngsters are being initiated in the art of flying. 



Many years ago, while hunting for brown bear, 

 the writer came upon a most unusual scene. My 

 attention was attracted by several of these birds, at 

 least 12 or 15, all on one little woodland glen, a 

 curious enough occurrence in itself. Several were 

 sitting on rocks in the centre of the open patch of 

 country while others were on trees or flying round 

 above. I promptly took "cover to see what had 

 attracted them and shortly after a few crows arrived 

 on the scene. It appeared to be a sort of gathering 

 of voles which had attracted them, and 1 don't 

 think I have seen so many voles in the whole course 

 of my existence as 1 saw within a few minutes, on 

 that occasion. Most of the Buzzards had evidently 

 fed, and fed well, before I arrived on the scene, and 

 contented themselves watching the voles, but one or 

 two caught them while I watched, and the crows 

 followed suit. Every vole on the hill-side had 

 chosen that day and that hour to come out and 

 afford the Buzzards the feast of their lives. I found 

 a few dead voles, but as 1 was in a hurry 1 did not 

 wait to examine them, to ascertain whether they 

 had been killed by birds and left, or had died a 

 natural death or of some disease. 



1 have also seen this species catching cicadas ofl' 

 the trunks of trees. I watched a bird on one occa- 

 sion sitting on a branch, half way up a tree, looking 

 at something above it. After a few seconds it flew 

 straight up against the trunk, caught the cicada 

 ani flew ofl' on to another tree to eat it. 



The flight of all Buzzards is alike. Wings held 

 usually in a line with the body, but occasionally 

 back. Tail not much in evidence, and very often 

 expanded like a fan. Wings long and rounded 

 and nearly always fully extended, unless about to 

 stoop or descend. Colouring apparently light, some- 

 times an almost transparent brown. A very light 

 patch on each wing about two-thirds of the way 

 from the body, like in the Large Indian Kite, but 

 of course in the latter the tail is forked and much 

 longer than in the Buzzards, 



