I90 BOMBAY DUCKS 



say, for the benefit of those unacquainted with it, that 

 the general hue of its plumage is a bright, rich chestnut, 

 but its head, neck, lower parts, and the tip of its tail, 

 are white. Each white feather has a brown shaft, but 

 this is not visible except at close quarters. From a 

 distance the bird appears chestnut in colour, with a 

 snowy head and breast. Such is the adult creature ; 

 but it is not until the young Brahminy kite is nearly a 

 year old that it assumes this beautiful plumage. 



When it first leaves the nest, early in the year, it is a 

 dingy brown bird, and, although it undergoes a number 

 of changes in appearance, it remains a brown bird until 

 the winter. Hence young Brahminy kites often pass 

 for the common pariah bird. However, nothing is 

 easier than to distinguish the two species, no matter in 

 what stage of plumage. The tail of the pariah kite is 

 more or less forked, the two outer feathers on each side 

 being a trifle longer than the inner feathers. The tail 

 of the Brahminy kite is fan-shaped. It is nicely rounded 

 off, the outer feathers being slightly shorter than the 

 inner ones. 



In general habits the Brahminy very closely resembles 

 the common kite. Both birds are gifted with wonderful 

 powers of flight. They will remain on the wing for 

 hours, soaring high above the earth, with but an 

 occasional movement of the wing. 



On one occasion I watched a Brahminy kite circling 

 over the River Cooum at Madras. For fully five minutes 

 the bird did not once flap its wings, yet it was moving 

 the whole time. The wind furnished the motor power, 

 and a slight depression of the wing, or a twist of the tail. 



