232 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on the [Ibis, 



210" (53-3 mm.), and in breadth between 1-43" (36'3 mm.) 

 and 1*68" (42*6 mm.), and average almost exactly 2" 

 (50-8 mm.) x 1-56" (39-6 mm.). 



The breeding-season over the greater part of their 

 habitat commences in March, and eggs may be found 

 throughout April. In the north-western Himalayas most 

 birds appear to lay in the last five days of March, but in 

 north-eastern India the majority of eggs are laid about a 

 month later, and second layings have been taken at the 

 end of May and once in June. 



In the south, where there is no real difference between 

 summer and winter, they lay in January and February. 



Certain haunts seem to be specially suited to this bird's 

 requirements, and if one pair is killed or driven away 

 another pair soon takes its place. Mr. Dodsworth in Simla 

 and others elsewhere have found this to be the case, and in 

 both the Khasia Hills and North Cachar when I have had 

 to shoot these birds to be sure of their identity, within a 

 very brief period another pair has taken their place, although 

 they never, so far as is known at i)rcsent, occupy quite the 

 same site for their nesting-operations. 



The Shahin does not seem very intolerant of the presence 

 of others of its own species, and two pairs may be found 

 frequenting the same area of ground without any fighting. 

 As a rule, however, each pair has its own individual breed- 

 ing and hunting grounds, though it may, and generally has 

 to, share the latter with Fishing-Eagles, Kites, and other 

 birds of prey. 



The food of the Shahin consists in great part of Pigeons 

 and Doves, wherever these birds are plentiful, but during 

 the winter when Duck, Teal, and other Water-birds swarm 

 on all the bigger waters in India, the Falcons devote them- 

 selves to the hawking of these birds. A Duck or Teal on the 

 wing, when frightened, is no mean performer, but its flight 

 seems slow and clumsy when compared with the stoop of 

 this magnificent bird. I remember, on one occasion, when 

 duck-shooting in Assam, the birds, from continued shooting, 

 had by the end of the day become very wild, and were flying 



