8G 



FALCONID^. 



edge of the eye. Lores wliitisli, with numerous elongated stiff bristle- 

 like featbers, whicli extend to the base of the cere, partially cover 

 the nostrils and turn up on to the front of the forehead above 

 the base of the cere. Cheeks rufescent brown, the feathers dark 

 shafted. Ear-coverts yellowish or a soiled white, the feathers dark 

 shafted. Chin and throat white, some of the feathers with dark 

 shafts. All round the edges of the lower mandible there are stiff 

 bristle-like hairs, which are ^ an inch or more long. A rufous brown 

 line behind the eye, and another from the gape forming a fairly distinct 

 moustachial stripe. Sides of the neck rufous, the feathers dark shafted 

 and edged lighter. Breast rufescent, the feathers dark shafted and 

 edged buflFy. Nape and back of the neck rufous brown, mottled with 

 white, the basal portion of the feathers showing through. Abdo- 

 men deep chestnut brown, the feathers edged fulvous and with dark 

 shafts. Thigh-coverts deep brown, the feathers edged reddish fulvous; 

 upper back, scapulars and lesser wing-coverts brown, edged with 

 rufous. Lower back and rump uniform brown, the lateral feathers of 

 the upper tail-coverts bright rufous and irregularly barred with brown. 

 Lower tail-coverts white. Tail (except the two lateral feathers, which are 

 shaded with ashy grey), pale rufous, with a broad terminal band of 

 slightly deeper rufous; the shafts and inner webs white, with traces of 

 browu cross bars. Outer webs of quills ashy grey, the inner webs 

 blackish from the tip to theemargination or sinuosity, and white beyond, 

 forming on the under surface of the wing a large white patch. Except 

 the first three, all the other primaries are barred on both webs ; the 

 3rd, 4th, and 5th quills emarginate on the outer webs, and all five 

 primaries emarginate on their inner webs. 



Legs and feet pale lemon yellow. Irides brownish yellow ; orbital 

 ridge dusky greenish. Bill brownish plumbeous, gape j^ellow, tip 

 black. Cere yellowish green. 



Length. — 24 inches, wing 16"75, tail from vent 9*75, tarsus 3'20. 



Female obtained at Sehwan, 5th February, similar to the male; length 

 25 inches, wing 19*75, tail from vent 10'75, tarsus 3-75. 



Hab. — Winter visitant in Sind. Found throughout India. It is 

 recorded from Northern, Southern and Central India, N. W. Pro- 

 vinces, the Punjab, the Gangetic Valley, N. W. Himalayas, Kashmir, 

 Nepaul, Oudh and Behar; also from Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan, 

 Eastern Turkistan and Palestine. In Palestine Mr. Tristram (Ibis, 

 1865) took its eggs from a rocky ledge on Mount Carmel. The 

 plumage of his Palestine specimen, he says, is very rufous, and he shot 

 breeding birds with and without the bar on the tail. 



Gen. Butastur, Eodgs. J. A. S. B. xii. p. 311. 



Bill short. Edge of mandible scarcely festooned ; nostrils small, oval, 

 with a superior membrane. Wings reaching nearly to end of tail ; 3rd 

 and 4th quills subequal and longest ; the first four emarginate. 



Butastur teesa, Hodgs. J. A. 8. B. xii. p. 311 (1843); Sharpe, 

 Cat. Ace. p. 295. Poliornis teesa, Eaup. Classif. Saug. n, vog. p. 122 ; 



