42 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Gen. HiEiiAx, Vigors. 



Char. — Bill sliort, upper mandible with a sharp tooth, and a 

 notch on each side, often described as a double tooth ; wings 

 short, 2nd and 3rd quills equal and longest, slightly notched 

 near the tip ; tail rather short, even ; tarsus rather short, stout, with 

 large transverse scuta in front ; toes scutellated ; middle toe not 

 much elongated; anterior claws not very unequal, strong; hind 

 claw large. 



These beautiful little falcons, the pigmies of the order, are very 

 little bigger than a sparrow : their sternum is notched posteriorly, 

 and the cranium very large and vaulted. Kaup makes them the 

 pre-eminent or parrot tribe among the Falcons. They are peculiar 

 to India and Malayana. 



20. Hierax Eutolmos, Hodgs. 



Gray's Zool. Misc. 1844 — H. bengalensis, apud Blyth J. A. 

 S. B. XII. 180, and Bon.— Hoksf., Cat. 15— Blytii, Cat., 78— 

 Tangpum Lepcha — Tingpum mepa, Bhot. 



White-naped Pigmy Falcon. 



Upper parts black, glossed with green ; wings and tail with the 

 inner webs of the feathers with white ^'spots ; forehead, broad 

 superciliary line extending to the nape, and sides of neck and 

 breast, white ; chin, throat, abdomen, thigh coverts, vent, and 

 under tail coverts, ferruginous. In some the ferrnginous is more 

 marked than in others, especially on the chin and throat. 



Length 6 to 6^ inches ; wing 4 to 4| ; tail 2^; tarsus | ; mid 

 toe and claw nearly |. 



This beautiful little Falcon is found in Nepal, Sikhim, Assam, 

 and Arracan. Their habits are little known. They are said by 

 the natives of the hills to seize small birds, and also insects. 

 The stomach of the only one I procured at Darjeeling was empty. 

 I have never heard that they are trained for hawking, and the bird 

 alluded to by Captain Mundy, considered by Mr. Blyth, (J. A S., 

 XL, 789,) to be one of these tiny Falcons, I have very little doubt 



