M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 457 



logy, and is one of Vishnu's attributes. This is one of the for- 

 tunate animals which according to their doctrine of transmigra- 

 tion contains the soul of a Bramin which is on the point of again 

 entering into the human form. The Bramin-hawk is very com- 

 mon near the river, especially about Calcutta, but it is not found 

 so abundantly as Falco ater. Further down, where the water 

 begins to be salt, and the country is less inhabited, it is not to 

 be seen. It seems to be found in all India and is often brought 

 from Java. It flies in circles over the water, whence it carries 

 off all kinds of floating offal, morsels of flesh, entrails, &c, per- 

 haps also fish, but 1 never saw it or the following species pounce on 

 entire corpses which lay upon the banks or floated in the stream. 

 Their food was seized by the feet, and was commonly carried off 

 to some tree or to the mast of a ship, to be there devoured, but 

 small pieces are also eaten during flight. Their cry is a some- 

 what rough He eeee , almost like that of a horse or a goat. 



They are seen about Calcutta the whole year. According to a 

 statement in Latham's Gen. Hist., they lay two or three eggs in 

 trees in March and April. A number of Indian names for this 

 bird are there enumerated. 



62. Falco ater, Gm., Lath. no. 38 ; Glog. Eur. p. 82. — Milvusater 

 rec. 



Fuscus, cauda longitudine reliqui corporis leviter furcata, alas 

 paullo superante, fusca, subtus pallidius fasciata; plumis capitis 

 latius oblongis. 



<£ (junior ? Febr.) totus fuscescens, pectore albido striolato, non 

 ferrugineo, capite albido fuscoque longitudinaliter maculato. Gula 

 albida. Longit. 21 poll. Ala 430 mill., tarsus 50, cauda 260, 1| poll, 

 ultra alas. — $ major &c, ut descriptio Glogeri cit. 



This species, which is spread over all the warmer regions of 

 the old continent, is one of the most abundant near Calcutta. 

 Its mode of life thoroughly resembles that of the Bramin-hawk. 

 The cry is sharper, not unlike our kite's, but more interrupted, 



much like heheheheeee ! This species also remains stationary 



all the year. Both this and the last have a great resemblance, 

 in their mode of flight and in all their habits, to Falco buteo as well 

 as to F. milvus, but they are chiefly seen near inhabited places, 

 and are not shy, as they are not persecuted. They are often seen 

 sitting in trees or on roofs in the city. Both are stated to build 

 on the stems of lofty trees. F. ater is named simply tjeel, which 

 corresponds to our name hawk. 



63. Falco . . . Fuscus, cauda longa, alba, brevius furcata, apicibus 

 nigris. Magnitudine prions. 



I saw this hawk twice only, in the month of April, flying near 

 Calcutta, but could not procure it. The flight and general 



