on Dr. Jerdon's ' Birds of India.' 249 



the cere and feet should have been eoloured of a mueh paler or 

 dull light sulphur-yellow, or what might rather be termed dull 

 yellowish white ; while the dark iris is coi-rect, and conspicuously 

 distinguishes both this species and M. melanotis when alive from 

 M. migrans, as may now be seen in the Zoological Gardens. 

 When I was in the habit of continually seeing the Indian Kite 

 in the utmost profusion, and commonly near enough to permit of 

 the closest observation, the error here noticed of colouring the 

 cere and feet of much too deep a yellow was strikingly apparent. 

 It is amusing to stand at a window in a neighbourhood where 

 these birds and the Crows {Corvus splendens) abound, and there 

 to make movements of the arm as if throwing something away : 

 both Kites and Crows are immediately attracted and gather 

 round, and will sweep by and hover about close, watching 

 eagerly for what they suppose is being cast out to them. 

 Colonel Tytler has given a good account of an assemblage of 

 Kites and Crows preying on the winged Termites, as they issue 

 forth in a jet, which at a little distance might be mistaken for a 

 continuous exhalation of smoke or vapour ; and a curious sight it 

 is to behold them thus streaming forth in myriads (Ann. & Mag. 

 N.H. 1854, xiv. p. 171). On occasions of this sort various other 

 species intermingle, Drongos (Dicrurus), Mainas [Aa'idotheres), 

 and insectivorous Bats. Every predatory creature will devour 

 eagerly the winged "White Ants"*. 



58. Baza lophotes. 



Professor Schlegel notes this species from Malacca, whence I 

 also have repeatedly seen it. It occurs rarely in Ceylon. 



• It is well known how the winged Termites are attracted by a light, or 

 by a white table-cloth. Upon occasions of their thus swarming into a 

 room, my caged small insectivorous birds used to enjoy a grand treat. I 

 had them in large cages with wire all round ; and phicing these on the 

 floor in a circle, with a light in the centre, plenty of Termites would enter 

 the cages to pass through them towards the light, and would keep their 

 inmates incessantly occupied, till they could manage to get down no more 

 of them. In the course of a quarter of an hour or thereabouts, after their 

 first appearance, every Termes will be found to have shed its wings, and, 

 crawling about, scarcely one escapes falling a prey to small Geckos and 

 other enemies. 



