400 FALCON ID JE. 



a double whistle. It is more commonly trained than any other 

 Indian bird of prey, and is thrown from the hand at quails and 

 partridges, or more commonly at crows. According to Jerdon it 

 will attack even young pea-fowl and small herons. It breeds 

 trees from April to June, making a loosely built nest of twigs 

 and sticks lined with grass-roots, and laying usually 3, sometimes 

 4, smooth, bluish-white, glossless eggs, usually unspotted, very 

 rarely with a few small greyish specks, and measuring about 

 1-55 by 1-22. 



1245. Astur soloensis. UorsfielcVs Short-toed Bawl-. 



Falco soloensis, Ilorsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 1.37 (1821). 

 Taehyspiza soloensis, Kau^), Class. Siiiig. Tog. p. ll6. 

 Tachyspizias soloensis, Gvrney, Ibis, 1875, p. 365, 

 Micronisus soloensis, Ilorsf. >^ M. Cat. i, p. o8 ; V. Pelzeln, Reise Nov., 



Aves, p. 12 ; Hall, S. F. i, p, 52 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 141. 

 Astur soloensis, Sharjje, Cat. B. M. i, p. 114, pi. iv, fig-. 1 ; Hume, 



S. F. V, J). 124 ; Htmie 4' I^uv. S. F. vi, p. 8 ; Hume, Cat. 



no. 23 ter ; Bingham, S. F. ix, p. 143 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 180. 



Coloration. Adult. Upper parts blackish ashy, basal portions of 

 scapulars and of inner webs of quills white, the latter more 

 or less banded ; tail barred as in A. hndius, the middle and outer 

 feathers unbarred in old birds ; sides of head and neck ashy grey ; 

 throat buffy white, streaked with grey ; breast and flanks almost 

 uniform vinous or ferruginous red, passing on the abdomen and 

 thigh-coverts into white on the lower abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts ; wing-lining buff. Sexes similar in colour and size. 



Young birds very similar to those of A. hadius, but darker 

 above. Birds that have not attained the fully adult plumage 

 have all the tail-feathers banded and traces of barring on the 

 breast. 



Bill horny plumbeous; cere and orbits light yellow ; irides pale 

 straw-colour ; legs and feet orange-yellow. 



Length of a female 12; tail 5-4; wing 7*5; tarsus 1-6; bill 

 from gape 0*8. The third quill is longest, fourth slightly shorter. 



Distribution. Southern China to the Malay Peninsula and Archi- 

 pelago as far as New Guinea, and in Southern Tenasserim. A 

 specimen was obtained by Bingham near the Thoungyin Eiver, 

 almost west of Moulmein, another at Malewoon by Davison, and a 

 third on Car Nicobar by the ' Novara ' Expedition. 



Habits, 4'c- A forest bird. The specimen shot by Bingham had 

 been feeding on lizards and frogs. JNidification not known. 



Genus LOPHOSPIZIAS, Kaup, 1844. 



Similar to Astur, except that there is a small crest formed by 

 the nuchal feathers being somewhat lengthened, and the lower 

 surface in adults is differently marked. There are two species, 

 one of which is peculiar to Celebes, the other is Indian. 



