MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 511 



The Peregrine Falcon is uncommon in Cutch, and I see it is not included 

 in Capt. Lester's List of the birds of Cutch, As long as I was there T only saw 

 one, which my falconer caught and trained and which is now in my possession. 



The Red-headed Merlin is one of the commonest hawks in Cutch, but they 

 did not frequent the fort nearly as much as the other hawks. They perch more 

 and soar less than other hawks I think. Kestrels I often saw over the fort, and 

 Shikras, which are as common at Bhuj as everywhere in India, frequently soared 

 there too. I also occasionally saw the Sparrow Hawk (Accipitcr nisus) there, 

 one of which my falconer caught, but it was not a good one and we let it go. 



The Booted Eagle (B. pennatus) is frequently to be seen at the fort in the 

 cold weather and the Tawny Eagle (A . vindhiana) is very common in Cutch 

 and was a constant nuisance to us out hawking. J shot several. 



One day when we were out in camp near Bhuj, I saw a Shahin coming 

 along straight for our tents carrying a fairly big bird. It was followed at 

 about 100 yards distance by a Tawny Eagle, who appeared to be neither gaining 

 nor losing. He was a good deal lower down than the falcon. When the latter 

 had just passed us she dropped her bird and the eagle turning, stooped and 

 caught it before it reached the ground. 



I expect these eagles get a large portion of their living in this way by robbing 

 hawks and falcons of their prey. 



A. DELME RADCLIFFE, 



105th L. Infy. 



Karachi, bth June 1905. 



No. XV— OCCURRENCE OF THE BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER 

 (HALCYON PILEATA) IN THE GODAVARI DELTA. 



(A Correction.) 



On page H73 of this volume a note was published giving the " occurrence of 

 Black-capped Kingfisher {Halcyon pileata) in Waltair." This locality was a 

 mistake on the Editor's part, as Waltair is very far from the Upputeru River, 

 where I found the bird. I have never seen Halcyon pileata near Waltair and do 

 not think it likely it occurs there. The Upputeru flows from the Koleru (not 

 Kolem) lake, and the name of the village where I first saw the Kingfisher is 

 Naidupalem (not Naidupatem). Considering the notes on the distribution of 

 this species in Blanford's book, its occurrence on the east coast seems worth 

 correctly recording. 



I may here mention that I saw another of this species on the Yeleru drain 

 near Cocanada on the 18th February last. It thus does not seem to be un- 

 common in the Godavari Delta. 



P. ROSCOE ALLEN. 



Camp Burgavalsa, Madras Presidency, 

 2nd June, 1905. 



