364 SPOLIA ZEYLANIGA, 
stout, and curves sharply from the cere ; the festoon is well 
marked. The tarsus is feathered in front only at the base ; 
the naked portion is covered in front and behind with trans- 
verse shields, and on the sides with reticulated scales. The 
tail is fairly long and square at the ends. The lower plumage 
is transversely barred in adults and spotted in the young. 
The females in all three species are much larger than the males. 
Rough Key to Group. 
A.—Tarsus fairly stout; toes moderate ; bill from gape 
about three-fifths of mid-toe without claw. 
(1) No crest ; wing up to 7°5; central tail feathers 
in adults not completely barred. 
Astur badius (The Shikra). 
(2) A small crest ; wing 7°5 or over; central tail 
feathers in adults fully barred. 
Lophospizias trivirgatus (Crested Goshawk). 
B.—Tarsus slender ; toes long ; bill from gape half mid-toe 
without claw. 
Accipiter virgatus (Besra Sparrow Hawk). 
Asrur BapIus (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 398; Legge, p 23). 
The Shikra. 
Description.—Adult male: Upper plumage bluish-ashy ; 
the hind-neck generally tinged with rufous; wing quills 
blackish towards the ends, the inner webs below the notch 
white, or buff, with blackish bars ; in the tail the middle and 
outermost feathers are not barred, or have only traces of bars, 
the remainder have four or five broad dark bars. The sides 
of the head and neck and a narrow streak down the chin are 
ashy-gray ; chin and throat otherwise whitish ; breast some 
shade of rufous with narrow white bars, which vary consider- 
ably in regularity and distinctness ; on the abdomen the colour 
gradually fades into the buff or white of the vent, thighs, and 
tail coverts. 
Females are darker and browner.above, and more boldly 
barred on the under surface, 
